---------------------------------------- Water-Colored Memories ----------------------------------------

"Get out of here you stinking half-breed! We don't want your kind around here!"

Inuyasha 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. Inuyasha 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. Inuyasha 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 Inuyasha. She was clearly several inches shorter than the boy was yet she stood her ground, firmly placing herself in between the young Inuyasha 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-fox?"

"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. He swiftly reached his fist back in order to punch the girl and 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. It landed squarely on top of the boy, pinning him to the Earth. Inuyasha 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. They finally stopped at a nearby clearing where they both toppled over, out of breath but still laughing.

"How long do you think…" Inuyasha began, his sentence halting because of giggles. "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.

"Just till he realizes that it's only an illusion," 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 fox demons.

Inuyasha 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."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "WOW! That's so cool! All I have are these claws." Inuyasha 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?" The young half-demon held out a hand toward her new friend.

Inuyasha looked down at the outstretched hand tentatively before he accepted it, shaking it cautiously. "I'm Inuyasha."

The girl rushed through the forest at blinding speed her mind racing with memories of her time with the silver-haired hanyou. 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 Inuyasha 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 Inuyasha," she said out loud to the wind.

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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," he whispered softly as he grabbed at something under his kimono and pulled it out slowly. It was an old necklace, made out of beads and shells. "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." Inuyasha 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 Inuyasha.

"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…" Inuyasha mumbled as he dodged the question. He looked around the camp until his eyes finally met Shippo's gaze. The young fox had stars within his dark pupils. They twinkled happily underneath the moonlit sky.

"What," Inuyasha barked at Shippo.

"Wow… your friend… she just seems so… COOL!" The young fox demon's tail was swishing happily from side to side.

Inuyasha 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 Inuyasha'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. Inuyasha 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," Inuyasha thought to himself. "How does she calm me down so quickly?"

He quickly changed his mood as Kagome took Shippo from the half-demon's lap. Inuyasha 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." Kagome put Shippo onto the ground and 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 Inuyasha like that. She giggled at the thought as she turned to look at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice was quiet in the still of the night.

"Yes, Kagome?" The half-demon glanced sideways at the girl as she sat quietly next to him.

"Thank you…" She trailed off, blushing. "Thank you for sharing a part of your history with me." She smiled again at him as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

Inuyasha 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 Inuyasha."

As she turned to leave Kagome tripped over her own feet and fell backwards right into Inuyasha's lap. The half-demon blushed profusely as he looked down at the girl in his arms, her face no more than a few inches away from his. Kagome herself stared at Inuyasha for several minutes, caught in the moment they shared.

"Those eyes… so intense… what are they trying to say?" Silent words that echoed through Kagome's mind as she tilted her head to the side to try to figure out the half-demon.

"Kagome…" whispered Inuyasha, eyes blinking innocently at her.

"This is it! He's gonna say something sweet," she thought to herself again as the excitement was building within her heart.

"Yes, Inuyasha." Kagome swallowed slowly in anticipation.

"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!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes before a small twitch took over the corner of her mouth. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes finally.

"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!!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome groaned loudly getting more and more frustrated by the hanyou. "Just… just…"

"Just what, huh," retorted the hanyou as he stared at her defiantly.

"Just SIT!" Her voice was firm and angry as she elicited the command that could always put Inuyasha in his place.

Inuyasha barely had enough time to react before the magical beads around his neck worked their charm. Within seconds the half-demon was pulled down into the ground with a loud crash. He lay there for several minutes unable to move.

"Goodnight Inuyasha," 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." Always sarcastic, even before laying down for the night.

The hanyou muttered something incoherently as he remained in his spot, pinned to the ground. His ears twitched a few times before he finally dozed off to sleep. He was going to need it anyway, tomorrow was going to be a long day, and he could feel it.