Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Inuyasha.


The Tragic Song of Destiny

As was her duty, she fought off all of the youkai that came to steal the jewel. But this was one of those unfortunate times when she was at her limit, but she could still sense someone hidden in the trees. Strangely, she thought she'd sensed youki up there before, but it was gone.

She was panting and could barely stand, but turned towards the tree defiantly, "How long do you intend to hide from me up there?" There was no response, "Are you after the sacred jewel too?"

The stranger replied to that, "The sacred jewel? Never heard of it."

That voice… a child? No, you can never be too careful with youkai. "If you don't know about it, then nevermind. If you value your life at all, then I warn you to stay away from me."

The guardian tried to return to the village, but her strength gave out and she collapsed. Seeing her out cold, the hanyou couldn't help but be worried for her and jumped out of the tree. Approaching her body, it looked like she was still breathing.

"Lady Kikyo!"

"Say something. Lady Kikyo!"

"Sister Kikyo!"

Knowing far better than to stick around a crowd, the young hanyou-turned-human fled.

The guardian was awoken by her sister. She smiled, "He decided not to kill me. Must be my lucky night."


Later, the little boy listened to another youkai speaking into the night darkness, "It's around here. I knew it. The sacred jewel is nearby. I must find it and increase my power before my body fails me."

The boy spoke, "I get it now. So that's what it's about. The sacred jewel huh? It's worth looking into. That priestess' name was Kikyo."

He would have to find a time when Kikyo was isolated and confront her- no that's stupid.


Under the cover of night, a small child snuck into the village, specifically the shrine. This was the moment he had waited for, when Kikyo had left to hunt mistress centipede. The boy used his hearing to look around, but heard nothing. Taking a chance, he tried to walk inside, only to walk straight into a barrier.

"Ow." His head stung where he had collided with it. He looked at the invisible barrier. No barrier was going to stop him! Focusing the small bit of youki he had into his hands and claws, he pushed against it with all his strength. The barrier wouldn't budge. Ears twitching in frustration, the little boy growled at the barrier before hearing a noise and immediately fleeing.


The next day, the little boy wandered to a nearby lake to try to clean his hands. The barrier had burned them, and they weren't healing as well as he'd hoped. But he was a resourceful pup, there were a few herbs nearby that could help with healing. So he sniffed them out and was going to apply them to his hands once he cleaned the dirt off.

The moment he put his hands in the water, a giant youkai popped out. It was larger than three grown men put together, had whiskers, and piercing red eyes. He wasn't sure he'd get away quick enough, but he had to try to flee. Suddenly, an arrow flew over his head and completely obliterated the fish youkai. He looked at his savior.

It was the priestess! And he could see her little sister hiding behind a tree too. His ears flattened, the fish youkai may have been the more urgent target, but she wasn't going to let him go. He knew he couldn't win, but he wasn't going to lie down and die either. Raising two sets of claws, he growled at the priestess.

"Huh. A child after all. And I thought I sensed something different from you. So you are a mere hanyou." She was met with a louder growl. "With the sacred jewel you could become a full blooded youkai. Would you go that far to find your place in the world, hanyou? Do you believe that is true power?"

"I'll become the strongest youkai around! I've already made up my mind."

"Hmm." Before he could react, an arrow was racing towards him and pierced the sleeve of his haori, pulling him to the ground. "Take my word for it, that's never going to happen. Not as long as I purify and protect it."

Kikyo took her sister and left, leaving the child to free himself.


The little boy sat in a tree, brooding. How was he supposed to get the jewel? He couldn't beat Kikyo, and he couldn't even get past her barrier. But he wanted it badly! If he could become a full youkai, then maybe his brother would like him. Maybe other youkai would accept him. Suddenly he heard rustling below, and realized it was the young Kaede gathering herbs.

"I wouldn't touch that," he called out.

"Ah! Who's there?" She hadn't noticed him? Careless kid in these woods, but he wasn't going to jump down for her. He'd seen Kikyo training her, and there was every chance she would be a priestess too. Who knew how far along her training was? She looked around, but still didn't notice him. Fearful though, she headed straight back to the village.


Kikyo, meanwhile, was bothered. Hearing her sister's tale, she confirmed what she already suspected: the hanyou child was still lurking around the village. She did question Kaede though about the incident and had her describe the plant she had been about to touch; it was poisonous.

His presence continued until weeks later a horde of youkai attacked the village. She was able to fight them off, but Kaede's eye was injured in the process. She came to discover that the hanyou had snuck into the village and hid in one of the huts until it was clear. He didn't steal anything or hurt anyone, he merely came and went peacefully, a scared child trying to protect himself.

The situation gave her an idea.


Kikyou took a seat on a hilltop she favored as it had a great view of the village. With her, was a freshly baked loaf of bread. She waited.

"Hanyou, you're there aren't you? Why don't you come down?"

"Quit calling me a hanyou!" He probably should've kept his big mouth shut.

But, getting him to engage was her plan. "Tell me your name and I shall never call you hanyou again."

From his spot in the trees, he hesitated, but decided to answer, "It's Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha," she repeated. Looking towards where she heard his voice, she opened the basket with the warm bread and patted the spot beside her. "If I wished to kill you, I would not have merely hit your clothes. I've noticed you, you've seen that my aim is perfect."

The child considered that, it was true. And he wasn't a coward. He let himself hop down from the trees and slowly approached her with his guard up. She wasn't concerned, and merely pushed the basket of bread towards him slightly. His stomach chose that moment to betray him and growled loudly.

"It's for you," she told him with a smile. He couldn't help it. It had probably been years since he had fresh bread, since his mother died. Taking a careful sniff of the loaf, just in case, he started eating it. The warm bread, it was so good!

"You're on your own, aren't you? No family?" she asked.

He didn't want to answer, but she had kindly given him food, "Ma died. And my youkai brother hates me."

"Hmm. Inuyasha, how do I look to you? Do I seem human?" He looked up from his mostly eaten bread. He just stared at her, unsure. She was a priestess, so she was human, right? She smelled human. "I show my weakness to no one. I must never have doubts or youkai would overcome me. I am human, yet I cannot be human. We're quite alike, you and I. You, a hanyou. That's why I understand."

"Understand?" he questioned.

"Inuyasha, how would you like to be human?"

He jumped. "Me, become a human?"

"It's possible," she explained. "It's true that you are half youkai, but you are also half human. If the sacred jewel of the four souls fell into the hands of a youkai, their power would undoubtedly increase. However, if it were used to turn you into a human, it would be purified. The jewel of the four souls would probably cease to exist."

"And then what," he asked.

She smiled at him, "You would be human. This is a human village, you are more than welcome to stay and I believe Kaede would adore growing up with another child her age."

He looked up at her. On one side, he was terrified of permanently becoming a human like on the new moon. But on the other hand, he'd be welcomed into a home, maybe a family, and he'd be protected by the powerful priestess whose barrier he couldn't even get through. Kaede would grow more powerful too and they'd be willing to protect him, a human! "I'll do it."

She nodded, "Tomorrow at noon. In front of the sacred tree in the western forest. Wait for me there. I'll bring the sacred jewel."

"I'll be there."


"That won't happen. I'll never allow it."


That night, Kikyo knelt before the jewel praying for her plan to be a success. She heard footsteps. "Who is it?"

A familiar voice replied, "Kikyo, it's me."

She looked towards the voice, "What's the matter? Has something happened?"

"I can't stand all this waiting. Kikyo, can you make me human right now?"

She shook her head, "You know I can't, the nighttime is filled with evil. If we are to use the sacred jewel, it must be after sunrise."

"Alright. Then do it right after the day breaks, agreed?"

She looked back at the jewel, "Impatient child." But then she noticed he disappeared suddenly, "Inuyasha?" She went outside to look, but no one was there.


As day began, Kikyo returned to her hut to prepare, only to be met with a surprise, "Inuyasha, what are you doing here?"

He was obviously startled. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think y-you'd come here. You've been praying since we talked and there's still a couple hours left, and…" He waved his arm, not sure of what to say. He didn't mean to get caught in her hut. This probably looked really bad.

"That didn't answer my question," but she was confused, 'a couple hours left', it was already daybreak and she was the one running late.

"I-I was bringing more herbs for Kaede, while… while I can still sniff them out," he answered. She looked, and there were in fact far more healing herbs then there were before.

"Sister Kikyo, he was keeping me company," Kaede added.

"What did you mean by a couple hours left, didn't we agree to meet at daybreak?" she questioned.

But he looked baffled, "you said noon!"

She didn't let her confusion show on her face, "interesting. I'll be back, Kaede. Inuyasha, you may wait for me here."

She left for the sacred tree where 'Inuyasha' was supposed to be waiting for her.


She looked around the field, but saw no one. Nor did she sense anything out of the ordinary.

"That Inuyasha, maybe he overslept," she pretended aloud while letting the jewel glisten in the sunrise light. Suddenly she heard something behind her, rapidly approaching. Wasting no time, she grabbed her bow and an arrow and notched it without hesitation. She saw who the pretender was, he looked like a man, but the tentacles coming out of his body suggested otherwise. She let the arrow fly. The being tried to dodge, but was still struck in the shoulder and grunted in pain.

"It was a clever trick, but it won't work on me." She notched another arrow. She fired, but suddenly his entire body erupted into a mass of tentacles. Several shot towards her, so she swung her bow charged with spiritual power in order to block it. One tentacle made it through and pierced through her shoulder in the same spot she had managed to hit him. There was a lot of blood, but she had to keep fighting, she couldn't let him have the jewel.


Elsewhere…

A boy with puppy ears jumped up suddenly.

"Inuyasha?" the girl beside him asked.

"I smell blood. A lot of blood. Kikyo's blood," he answered.

"Sister," she whispered. Forcing herself out of bed, Kaede grabbed the bow she had been practicing with before. "Lead the way!"


This is bad. Wherever she struck the youkai, it merely managed to regenerate. She had succeeded in defending herself from further damage, but was getting weaker from blood loss. The youkai had also released a cloud of miasma through the area that was slowly poisoning her. Even worse, the constant usage of her arm was making the wound worse. She worried about how deep it had gotten.

The battle continued in a seeming stalemate, that is until he managed to get another tentacle through her barrier. It landed in her stomach. NO! This youkai must not get the jewel! She was too weak, he left the tentacle where it was and she couldn't remove it.

"Cease this struggling my lovely Kikyo. You've already lost, hand over the jewel," he demanded.

"No!" she screamed. And as if answering her silent prayer, an arrow suddenly shot out towards the youkai. He was wholly unprepared for the surprise attack and Kaede struck true. The arrow landed in his heart.

But the arrow wasn't powerful enough. Seeing this, Kikyo let her power flow into the youkai through the limb still connecting them. The still-embedded arrow made a good conduit.

"Kikyo!" the youkai screamed, "you'll pay for this!" Suddenly turning back towards the two children, he desperately shot a tentacle towards the child who shot the arrow.

"Kaede!" Just when she thought Kaede would suffer the same fate as herself, the young hanyou leapt in front of her and slashed the oncoming attack. Kaede was safe.

She couldn't allow him to strike again, and forced the last of her strength into the youkai. He screamed. Purification was a bad way to go, and the body disintegrated.

Her sister rushed over to her crumpled form. "Sister Kikyo," she cried.

Kikyo reached into her robe and produced the sacred jewel. "The sacred jewel. It was all because of this. Listen to me, Kaede. Take the sacred jewel and burn it with my body. That way it will never fall into the hands of evil again."

"But Kikyo." She looked at Inuyasha's form beside her.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but both could see tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Suddenly, Kikyo could tell the tears were for her, not the jewel. "Inuyasha. Perhaps I was wrong." With the last of her physical strength, she let herself caress the soft ears that identified what he was. "Live as you are."

They were Kikyo's last words. Men from the village arrived and helped take her body back. Kaede ensured that Kikyo's instructions were followed, and the jewel was no more. "I will take the jewel with me to the netherworld."

And Inuyasha, he stayed in the village. Kikyo, Kaede, they'd been ok to him. And he shared her pain. Kaede defended him against the villagers that wanted him gone, saying that it was Kikyo's wish for him to stay. She was their next priestess and even as a child, had a lot of say.


Elsewhere, 500 years into the future, a baby girl was born wearing a glowing Kagome crest. One day, she would meet a inuhanyou boy from the past with a soft spot for open-minded priestesses. The two would fall in love while recovering the lost shards of the sacred jewel. It wouldn't take them too long with only petty youkai after the shards. And one day, she'd wish it to disappear, both already having all they could ever want right in front of them.


AN: Thanks for reading my one-shot. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you're interested go check out my other stories. The sort-of companion piece to this is Lonely Child which is another what-if: what-if an elderly Kaede had met Inuyasha as a child?