AN: This is the beginning of the end! I hope yall will review. Forgive the shortness of the chapters :-(
Ch 5
Inu-yasha
"STOP!!" Kikyo cried as she chased him through the village. His agility was extraordinary. She regretted letting this half-breed go the other day. He did indeed come to her village, and did try to steal the Jewel. But she had been on watch that day, and managed to stop him.
"I said stop, vermin!" she cried, firing an arrow.
"And let you hit me?" he said in a rough, almost growling voice. She chased him to the trees. There she stopped. She fired one last arrow at his retreating back.
"That is a warning," she called out. "If you return, you will assuredly die, demon, spawn." She turned around, heading back to the village. As she approached the shrine, Keade rushed up to her.
"Sister!" the child called out, running up and hugging the priestess. "Is he gone?"
"He was too swift for me, little sister," Kikyo said, "But, yes, for now he is gone, Keade."
"Then come with me, sister," she said, leading Keade up the stairs. "We will get our sacks and go to Naoto's farm to pick up the rice for the shrine."
Meanwhile, the white haired half demon sat in the trees above, watching the priestess. He had watched her for less than a year now, trying to learn her moves so he could get the Shikon Jewel. He had been seeking the Jewel since autumn, when rumor first reached his ears that it was near by. He wasn't impressed by this Kikyo. She seemed like any human he'd seen. He'd first seen her when she was attending some wedding ceremony in early fall. She did not look like a person who could protect a Jewel. But then, he stuck around and watched her. He remembered once, he had been scrounging around during winter. It had been snowing. And he saw her coming from river. She was covered in snow, and carried a bundle of hay over her head. He had watched her go into a solitary hut that lay far from the village, and come out again with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He had looked through the window of that hut later. The family inside was cooking fish, and the father had his arm in a sling, and they were saying praises for Kikyo and her act of kindness to them. Then, later when he had seen the hole in the icy river, and no fishing line in sight, he figured out that Kikyo had stuck her bare arms into the river and got that family food when the would have starved otherwise.
But now, he saw a regular human woman running off with a skinny little brat.
"Some 'protectress'." he mumbled as he leaped back into the forest.
For several weeks, their encounters were like this. The white haired half-breed would try to steal the Jewel, and Kikyo would chase him away. Amid this, Kikyo had to fight other monsters. It was becoming a strain, now that summer was near. One day, she did not see the white haired one anywhere near the village. She hoped he was gone for good. That day, she went to the river to get water, her sister coming with her. She had told Keade that it was not safe to go into the forest alone, but Keade said that since she would be with Kikyo, there was no worry.
But as Kikyo dropped a bucket into the water, she heard her sister scream. She turned, and saw her sister running from a demon panther. The beast had a horn sprouting from it's brow and three eyes that glowed blood red. And it's fangs were as wide as Kikyo's arm.
"KEADE!" Kikyo screamed. She had no time to get the bow, she rushed the beast and grabbed around the neck. She clung to it as it thrashed and snarled and tried to scratch at Kikyo.
"Sister!!" Keade shrieked, "Sister Kikyo!"
"Run Keade! Get help!" Kikyo screamed back, but even as the child began to run, they heard a voice from the trees.
"IRON REVER SOUL STEALER!" and the white haired half-breed jumped from the trees, his claws slashing at the panther's face, taking out one of it's eyes. The panther threw Kikyo from it's back and pawed at it's face.
When Kikyo got back up, she yelled, "Run Keade, NOW!" The girl ran for the village while Kikyo got her arrow.
Meanwhile, the half demon had distracted the panther and was going against it with his bare hands. He leaped away from it's attempt to tear out his neck. But then, in mid duck, the panther reached it's huge claws up and scratched the half breed in the chest. He screamed with pain and then put his hand to the cuts. He drenched his hand in his own blood, and yelled, "Blades Of Blood!" making red blades slash at the panther. This took it's tail and it's horn, but it was still going.
It was then that Kikyo got her arrow and made the shot. She hit it in where the skull met the neck. It roared, then collapsed to the ground. Kikyo stood, out of breath, and looked at the half breed. He was just as tired…and still bleeding. At that moment, Kikyo felt pity.
"You are injured," she said, taking a step towards him. He stepped back
"It's just a scratch," he said.
"You saved my little sister," she said, mystified.
"Returnin a favor." he said gruffly. Then, he ran into the forest. Kikyo stood there, looking back into the trees for a long time. Then, she heard men from the village coming, and her sister's voice calling her. Kikyo got her mind cleared, and got ready to haul the carcass to the dry well.
Several days passed. Kikyo carried a parcel of vegetables from the shrine's garden on her arm. She went to the edge of the forest. She looked around. He should have been here. Then she heard the rustle in the leaves over head. He was there. Looking down at her.
"What do you want?" he asked her suspiciously.
"I want to thank you for saving me and my sister" she said.
"What's all that food for?" he asked, still not convinced that she meant no harm.
"For lunch," she said, "I have enough to share, if you'd like?"
"Is this some kind of trick, cause I ain't buyin it," he said.
"It is no trick." she replied, sitting down and spreading out the scarf and food. "Please," she asked. "Join me."
He stared at her for a few minutes more before he came down. He sat on his haunches, and even as he ate, he kept looking at her, expecting her to pull a trap any moment.
"You do not trust me, correct?" she asked him as she ate a pear.
"Darn right," he said, "This ain't poisoned or nothin, is it?" he asked as he eyed the carrot warily.
"No, it isn't" she laughed. "I only want to thank you." after a few minutes of silent eating, she said, "My name is Kikyo, if you wish to know."
"I already know," he mumbled.
"What is your name?" she asked. He said nothing. They sat silent again for a long time. Then, when they were finished, she gathered the scarf and said, "I must return to the shrine. Farewell."
As she walked away, she heard him say, "Inu-yasha."
"What?" she asked, turning her head to look at him again.
"My name," he said, "Is Inu-yasha." Then, he got up and ran into the forest again.
Ch 5
Inu-yasha
"STOP!!" Kikyo cried as she chased him through the village. His agility was extraordinary. She regretted letting this half-breed go the other day. He did indeed come to her village, and did try to steal the Jewel. But she had been on watch that day, and managed to stop him.
"I said stop, vermin!" she cried, firing an arrow.
"And let you hit me?" he said in a rough, almost growling voice. She chased him to the trees. There she stopped. She fired one last arrow at his retreating back.
"That is a warning," she called out. "If you return, you will assuredly die, demon, spawn." She turned around, heading back to the village. As she approached the shrine, Keade rushed up to her.
"Sister!" the child called out, running up and hugging the priestess. "Is he gone?"
"He was too swift for me, little sister," Kikyo said, "But, yes, for now he is gone, Keade."
"Then come with me, sister," she said, leading Keade up the stairs. "We will get our sacks and go to Naoto's farm to pick up the rice for the shrine."
Meanwhile, the white haired half demon sat in the trees above, watching the priestess. He had watched her for less than a year now, trying to learn her moves so he could get the Shikon Jewel. He had been seeking the Jewel since autumn, when rumor first reached his ears that it was near by. He wasn't impressed by this Kikyo. She seemed like any human he'd seen. He'd first seen her when she was attending some wedding ceremony in early fall. She did not look like a person who could protect a Jewel. But then, he stuck around and watched her. He remembered once, he had been scrounging around during winter. It had been snowing. And he saw her coming from river. She was covered in snow, and carried a bundle of hay over her head. He had watched her go into a solitary hut that lay far from the village, and come out again with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He had looked through the window of that hut later. The family inside was cooking fish, and the father had his arm in a sling, and they were saying praises for Kikyo and her act of kindness to them. Then, later when he had seen the hole in the icy river, and no fishing line in sight, he figured out that Kikyo had stuck her bare arms into the river and got that family food when the would have starved otherwise.
But now, he saw a regular human woman running off with a skinny little brat.
"Some 'protectress'." he mumbled as he leaped back into the forest.
For several weeks, their encounters were like this. The white haired half-breed would try to steal the Jewel, and Kikyo would chase him away. Amid this, Kikyo had to fight other monsters. It was becoming a strain, now that summer was near. One day, she did not see the white haired one anywhere near the village. She hoped he was gone for good. That day, she went to the river to get water, her sister coming with her. She had told Keade that it was not safe to go into the forest alone, but Keade said that since she would be with Kikyo, there was no worry.
But as Kikyo dropped a bucket into the water, she heard her sister scream. She turned, and saw her sister running from a demon panther. The beast had a horn sprouting from it's brow and three eyes that glowed blood red. And it's fangs were as wide as Kikyo's arm.
"KEADE!" Kikyo screamed. She had no time to get the bow, she rushed the beast and grabbed around the neck. She clung to it as it thrashed and snarled and tried to scratch at Kikyo.
"Sister!!" Keade shrieked, "Sister Kikyo!"
"Run Keade! Get help!" Kikyo screamed back, but even as the child began to run, they heard a voice from the trees.
"IRON REVER SOUL STEALER!" and the white haired half-breed jumped from the trees, his claws slashing at the panther's face, taking out one of it's eyes. The panther threw Kikyo from it's back and pawed at it's face.
When Kikyo got back up, she yelled, "Run Keade, NOW!" The girl ran for the village while Kikyo got her arrow.
Meanwhile, the half demon had distracted the panther and was going against it with his bare hands. He leaped away from it's attempt to tear out his neck. But then, in mid duck, the panther reached it's huge claws up and scratched the half breed in the chest. He screamed with pain and then put his hand to the cuts. He drenched his hand in his own blood, and yelled, "Blades Of Blood!" making red blades slash at the panther. This took it's tail and it's horn, but it was still going.
It was then that Kikyo got her arrow and made the shot. She hit it in where the skull met the neck. It roared, then collapsed to the ground. Kikyo stood, out of breath, and looked at the half breed. He was just as tired…and still bleeding. At that moment, Kikyo felt pity.
"You are injured," she said, taking a step towards him. He stepped back
"It's just a scratch," he said.
"You saved my little sister," she said, mystified.
"Returnin a favor." he said gruffly. Then, he ran into the forest. Kikyo stood there, looking back into the trees for a long time. Then, she heard men from the village coming, and her sister's voice calling her. Kikyo got her mind cleared, and got ready to haul the carcass to the dry well.
Several days passed. Kikyo carried a parcel of vegetables from the shrine's garden on her arm. She went to the edge of the forest. She looked around. He should have been here. Then she heard the rustle in the leaves over head. He was there. Looking down at her.
"What do you want?" he asked her suspiciously.
"I want to thank you for saving me and my sister" she said.
"What's all that food for?" he asked, still not convinced that she meant no harm.
"For lunch," she said, "I have enough to share, if you'd like?"
"Is this some kind of trick, cause I ain't buyin it," he said.
"It is no trick." she replied, sitting down and spreading out the scarf and food. "Please," she asked. "Join me."
He stared at her for a few minutes more before he came down. He sat on his haunches, and even as he ate, he kept looking at her, expecting her to pull a trap any moment.
"You do not trust me, correct?" she asked him as she ate a pear.
"Darn right," he said, "This ain't poisoned or nothin, is it?" he asked as he eyed the carrot warily.
"No, it isn't" she laughed. "I only want to thank you." after a few minutes of silent eating, she said, "My name is Kikyo, if you wish to know."
"I already know," he mumbled.
"What is your name?" she asked. He said nothing. They sat silent again for a long time. Then, when they were finished, she gathered the scarf and said, "I must return to the shrine. Farewell."
As she walked away, she heard him say, "Inu-yasha."
"What?" she asked, turning her head to look at him again.
"My name," he said, "Is Inu-yasha." Then, he got up and ran into the forest again.