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"Get out of here you stinking half-breed! We don't want your kind around here!"
Inu Yasha stood there in the courtyard hurt by the words the other boys said to him, yet he remained firm in his resolve. "I don't have to leave!" he shouted to them, when deep down all he wanted to do was run to his mother and throw himself into her arms, shutting out the rest of the world. He didn't have any friends… and THAT hurt him above anything else.
"Didn't you hear us dog boy?" shouted one of the much larger boys, "we said LEAVE!"
The boy picked up a large rock that he hurled toward the little hanyou. Inu Yasha winced as he waited for it to hit him; he never liked to run away from those boys, he'd rather show them how tough he was. But much to his surprise the rock never hit him. Inu Yasha opened his eyes cautiously to see what happened only to find a person was standing directly in front of him. She had caught the rock before it even reached its intended target.
"Who do you think you are defending that filthy hanyou?!" the boy screamed as he marched up to the girl who was guarding Inu Yasha. She was clearly several inches shorter than the boy was, yet she stood her ground, firmly placing herself in between the young Inu Yasha and the large human boy.
"Oh I get it," the boy exclaimed in a nonchalant way, "YOU'RE a hanyou too." He had finally noticed the girl's pointy ears and bushy tail, "What are you anyway, half kitsune?"
"Yeah, what of it?" she answered gruffly, her cute voice however took away much of the anger she intended.
"Looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson as well…" the boy said as he cracked his knuckles as he swiftly reached his fist back in order to punch the girl. As he swung forward his blow was firmly caught by the girl's hand. The boy's friends stared in amazement that a girl would have such strength against a much larger boy. Within moments they all ran away, leaving the boy alone to deal with the very angry vixen.
"Wh… How?" stammered the boy as he futilely struggled against the girl.
"Heh, how quickly you forget that I'm half-demon. So whether I'm a boy OR a girl, I'll still have more power than you ever will."
With that said she pushed the boy away from her and laughed as he fell to the ground. She turned toward the young dog-demon and smiled mischievously, "Watch this…" She turned around once more to face the bully, "Hey, why don't you play with my doll for a while, she can keep you company till your friends get back."
She threw a rag doll at the boy who sat stupefied on the ground. Just as he was about to catch it however, the girl snapped her fingers and the doll grew to ten times its normal size.
>THUD!It landed squarely on top of the boy, pinning him to the Earth. Inu Yasha and the young vixen laughed heartily as they ran into the forest, leaving behind them the sight of the boy struggling underneath a huge doll. The finally stopped at a nearby clearing where they both toppled over, out of breath but still laughing.
Inu Yasha was doubled over in laughter as he tried to ask his new friend a question, "How long do you think… *giggle* do you think it'll take him to get that HUGE doll off his body?" The little hanyou couldn't help but continue to laugh as the mental image of the bully pinned under the doll remained in his mind.
"Heh, just till he realizes that it's only an illusion *giggle*" replied the kitsune, amused that humans could be so easily duped. But then again, many demons had often fallen prey to the so-called "magic" of kitsune youkai.
Inu Yasha blinked curiously, "You mean, that wasn't… real?"
The girl shook her head innocently, "Nope, just an illusion. Though most can't tell the difference till after it's too late."
Inu Yasha's eyes widened, "WOW! That's so cool! All I have are these claws." Inu Yasha demonstrated them by flexing his hand and slicing down a nearby sapling.
"Hey, that's pretty cool too… at least you can defend yourself if you need to. My name's Akemi, what's yours?"
"I… Inu Yasha."
The girl rushed through the forest at blinding speed. She held the Shikon shards in one hand tightly, while her other hand grasped the ragged chain around her neck. She remembered the day she made it…
"Mommy, do you think that Inu Yasha will like this necklace I made him?"
The little fox girl held up the necklace made of beads and shells to show her mother who was standing in the kitchen, "Yes Akemi, I'm sure he will like it very much."
"Mommy, I'm gonna make one for me too that way we'll both have one and we'll never forget about each other."
"That's a good idea sweetheart."
Akemi's focus shifted back to reality once more as she went racing through the trees.
I'm coming Inu Yasha…
The hanyou remembered it all as if it happened yesterday. They always played together in the forest, away from the humans and other demons that always chased them away. It didn't even matter that Akemi was older (and taller) than he was, she was his first friend, and back then, his best friend.
What happened to you Akemi…
Inu Yasha grabbed at something under his kimono and pulled it out slowly. It was an old necklace, made out of beads and shells, the half-demon grasped it tightly, "She made this for me, before she left. She said it was a symbol of our friendship and that I should keep it always so I could remember her." Inu Yasha looked down at the tattered chain as he spoke in a barely audible voice, "I wonder if you still have yours Akemi?"
"So…" began Kagome, "she was like an older sister to you?"
"Pretty much," replied Inu Yasha.
"So where is she now?" asked Sango, just as intrigued by the story as Kagome and the others were.
"I dunno… her father took her and her mother away a long time ago. I haven't heard from her since."
"But… you surely must miss her?" queried Miroku.
"Feh… I got used to it after a while. I had to be out on my own remember? My mother died a little bit after Akemi left so I didn't have time to miss anyone."
"I… see," sighed the monk, "but you obviously think about her."
"Yeah you must. Otherwise why would you keep the necklace?" added Sango.
"I dunno…" Inu Yasha dodged the question as he looked around the camp. His eyes finally met Shippo's gaze. The young fox had stars in his eyes. They twinkled happily underneath the moonlit sky.
"What?" Inu Yasha barked at Shippo.
"Wow… your friend… she just seems so… COOL!"
>sweat dropInu Yasha stared blankly at the fox tyke sitting on his lap. Shippo grabbed onto the hanyou's kimono tightly as he looked up at him, "Please tell me more stories about her!"
"Maybe later Shippo… but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like it if you GOT OFF MY LAP!"
As Inu Yasha's anger rose, his eyes met Kagome's. She signaled him to calm down and to not get angry at the little kitsune. The half-demon bit his tongue as the little fox kept rambling about Akemi. Inu Yasha looked at Kagome who had a happy grin upon her face. A smile crept upon the boy's face as well, How does she do it? Inu Yasha thought, How does she calm me down so quickly? He quickly changed his mood as Kagome took Shippo from Inu Yasha's lap. He mumbled something along the lines of "damn woman" as she walked away with the little fox.
"It's time for bed Shippo, now off you go."
The fox scurried along toward Kagome's sleeping bag and bundled himself inside it. He often slept with Kagome and Kagome didn't mind at all. For her it was like having a nice, fluffy, and warm stuffed animal to cuddle with. Though secretly, she hoped that someday she could cuddle with Inu Yasha like that. She giggled at the thought as she turned to look at Inu Yasha.
"Inu Yasha?"
"Yes Kagome?" the boy glanced sideways at the girl as she sat quietly next to him.
"Thanks… for sharing a part of your history with me." She smiled again at him as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Inu Yasha blushed for a moment before he answered her, "Feh, wasn't a big deal."
Kagome smiled at him again as she rose to her feet, "Goodnight Inu Yasha." As she turned to leave Kagome tripped over her own feet and fell right into Inu Yasha's lap. The half-demon blushed profusely as he looked down at the girl in front of him, her face no more than a few inches away from his. Kagome herself stared at Inu Yasha for several minutes, caught in the moment they shared.
Those eyes… so intense… what are they trying to say?
"Kagome…" whispered Inu Yasha.
This is it! He's gonna say something sweet!
"Yes Inu Yasha?"
"Kagome… could you please get off my lap!" whined the half-demon, "You're sittin on the sword and it's poking me someplace I don't wanna be poked!"
>sweat dropSo much for sweet…
"If it hurt so much why didn't you say something sooner!" Kagome yelled at him as she jumped off his lap.
"Because!"
"Because what!?"
"Just because!!"
"Inu Yasha…" Kagome groaned loudly getting more and more frustrated by the hanyou, "Just… just…"
"Just what huh?" retorted the hanyou.
"Just SIT!"
"Wha… OOMPF!"
The mystical beads that old priestess Kaede had magically put around the hanyou's neck was still working its magic. It pulled Inu Yasha down with a loud crash. He lay there for several minutes, pinned to the ground from Kagome's last "sit" command.
"Goodnight Inu Yasha" yawned Miroku as he settled into his covers for the night, "Next time try not to get Kagome mad before bedtime. It makes it hard for you to get any sleep."
"O…k… oye…" the hanyou muttered, "Besides, this is a nice spot… to rest." He dozed off to sleep within a few minutes. He was going to need it anyway, tomorrow was going to be a long day, and he could feel it.