Now here's the actual first chapter.

Japanese guide:

Onigiri- Riceball

Hakama- Traditional Japanese pants- Kikyou wears them in canon.

Nee-chan- Older sister

---In More Ways Than One---

In Which the Boy and the Girl Meet

By Kelly O'Connor

There was an unmistakable sense of awe that people projected when Kagome made her way out of the village every morning to commence her duties as village Miko and guardian of the Shikon no Tama. However, in this Miko's case that awe was not so much because of her power or grace, but because of the manner she treated the people of the village as she left. Returning greetings and being overall warm and amiable, she paused her actions only when she felt the light tug of a young girl's hand on the back of her Hakama.

"Eh? Kaede," Kagome looked back at the girl.

"Nee-chan?" She inquired, addressing the Miko, who was her elder sister. "When will you be back?" The young woman blinked.

"Hmm… I think I'll come back for something to eat mid-day, is that all right?" Kagome offered with a genuine smile on her face.

"I wish I could go with you." Kaede looked down in disappointment. The Miko laughed lightly.

"You'd get bored, trust me… all you do is sit around outside the village and watch. A lot of times nothing exciting happens the entire day."

"What do you do when you're bored? I could give you company!"

"Well it's dangerous too- so it wouldn't be exactly smart of me to bring you." She tapped her chin in thought. "But you know I'll try to make it up to you right? I'm sorry I have to stay away from you a lot Kaede, but guarding the Shikon no Tama has caused me to have to make a lot of changes."

"But it's not going to change you is it?" Kaede bit her lip and asked with slight hesitation. Leaning down and lightly tapping her sister on the nose, Kagome beamed.

"Never," She stood up and adjusted her bow and quiver to a more comfortable position.

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For the past few days, ever since he'd reached the forests around the village she dwelled in- the Hanyou had been watching her from the shadows. He was confused by the girl who held the Shikon no Tama under her care. There were times when she held a fierce demeanor as she fought off the countless youkai that aimed to attack her for the possession of the jewel. With her bow cocked and her arrow nicked, she looked every bit the powerful Miko who had spent her life learning to utilize her abilities. Formidable and poised, no youkai in their right mind would come near her. At other times, she appeared to be no more than a typical young woman. When all was well she would often sit by the riverbank dangling her feet in the water and staring at the clouds to pass the time--- the wind sifting through her hair and a peaceful smile on her face. Sometimes she would pull the ribbon that held her hair back in the traditional manner out and just let it fly free the rest of the day, haphazardly tying her hair back when danger approached. He knew the times she did that, she must have been at ease.

She confused InuYasha, and he still hadn't brought himself to go out after the jewel yet. She wore it around her neck, although under her clothing. He could see the broken shell pieces that made up the necklace peeking out when she moved swiftly at times. But on this day, the Hanyou had made up his mind; he would abandon all inhibitions and confront the Miko.

His chance came in the form of an approaching lesser youkai early in the day. Although small and animalistic, the youkai was fast, and they were in an open field. As a consequence, Kagome's arrows were having trouble hitting their mark. If she's distracted, I can get her from behind. InuYasha formulated in his mind. He hesitated for a moment before pushing his thoughts aside and dashing out into the knee length grass of the field.

Kagome's arrows continued to fly as she fought off her opponent. One arrow should do it… Her eyes widened as she registered the presence of someone new. Wait! Rotating around, her gaze met with the figure of the red-clad Hanyou standing several feet away from her in the field. "Hey you… stay back!" Kagome yelled and turned her attention back to the youkai, nicking her bow one last time. She took aim and hit. "Got it!" She grinned as the small youkai dissolved into a burst of pink Miko energy. Relaxing her bow, she glanced behind her.

InuYasha's eyes were wide and surprised. Had this girl just protected him? As if I need it but… what the hell? "I-I'm here for the Shikon no Tama…" The boy managed in as intimidating a voice as he could muster. Kagome cocked her head a bit.

"Well then why haven't you come out before now?"

"What?" InuYasha snapped in confusion.

"You've been watching me for at least a few days, what were you waiting for?" She explained with a shrug.

"Keh- What are you talking about… I just got here!" The silver-haired boy clenched his fists. Tapping her chin in thought, Kagome looked up for a moment.

"I can feel your youki, so I knew." She answered bluntly.

"Hmph!" He grumbled, slightly embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that. "Then why didn't you come after me?"

"Because you didn't come after me."

"Well I was going to!" InuYasha retorted. Kagome paused and reached up to remove her hair from the ribbon that tied it back. Then she proceeded to walk towards the Hanyou, closing the distance between them to only a few feet.

"Then take it." The Miko clasped her fingers around the necklace that held the Shikon no Tama and pulled it out of her top. "It's right here."

"What the hell are you doing? I could kill you!" InuYasha looked to the jewel around her neck, but somehow… he felt no temptation to remove it.

"When someone truly evil or at all wicked-hearted is after the Shikon no Tama," Kagome began, "It calls to them. It's a power that's hard to resist. This jewel is created from the pure heart of a Miko, and the pure evil of an army of youkai."

"Oi, I know what the damn thing is, what are you trying to say?"

"So what's your name?" Kagome changed the subject for a moment, curious as to whom the strange boy was. "I just kind of feel weird talking to you without knowing your name." His eyes widened for a moment.

"It's InuYasha," he muttered, his tone indicating how confused he was by her question and casual behavior.

"InuYasha," she tried the name out and smiled. "I'm Kagome." The Hanyou didn't reply for a moment and Kagome sighed. "Anyway- now that we know each other's names… like I was saying, the Shikon no Tama draws evil to it. InuYasha, if deep down your intentions were truly evil… then there's no way you could have resisted its call." With a muffled "Keh" the boy crossed his arms and turned away. "You're a Hanyou, aren't you?"

"No shit, so what?"

"I'm guessing then, you wanted the jewel to change that?" She ventured tentatively.

"If I were a full youkai I'd be powerful I'd be…"

"Oh, so you could be accepted by youkai then?" Kagome cut in.

"That's not what I was going to say!"

"But is it what you meant? If it were for power you'd have come after the jewel already." She reasoned and nonchalantly ran her fingers through her loosed hair. Heavy silence permeated among the pair for several moments before InuYasha let out a frustrated growl. Beginning to feel awkward, the boy's eyes darted to the forest behind him.

"It doesn't matter what I meant!" He shouted as he turned tail and ran away, the tall trees on the edge of the field hiding him from view before Kagome could think to follow.

"InuYasha!" She tucked the jewel back into her top and called out, figuring that he could hear. "I hope to see you again."

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Kagome hummed quietly to herself as she dangled her feet over the edge of the small cliff above the stream she frequented for bathing and for relaxing. "I'm so bored. Let's see… archery lessons for Kaede, dinner with the village elder, a trip to the Taijiya village tomorrow morning…" She replayed the next few days' plans absently and tapped her fingers in amusement when she realized something. "Find out why InuYasha is still watching me…" She mused a bit louder. Kagome couldn't help but grin when she heard a rustle from the crop of trees further back from the stream. She'd obviously startled him.

InuYasha didn't know what he was doing. She'd told him she wished to see him again as he was leaving the previous day, but… why did he even come? His own actions confused him. Sighing, the Hanyou recalled his conversation with the young Miko the day before. She hadn't looked down on him, or criticized him, or acted threatened by him- she'd just spoken to him.

"InuYasha!" The voice of the girl in question interrupted his thoughts. "Why don't you come out and eat with me." Glancing out from behind the thick tree trunk he'd hidden behind, he saw her smiling at him, an onigiri in her hand. Slowly, he slid from his hiding place and into clear sight. "I brought some extra on off-chance that you might be here."

"Oi, what makes you think I'd be here?" He walked up next to her, still standing.

"Well I guess I was just hoping that you'd show up," she bit her lip and said, slightly embarrassed.

"Why?"

"Maybe I just wanted someone to talk to."

"You'd talk to me?" He tried to hide his surprise with a false hint of irritation, but at the same time the Hanyou accepted her invitation by sitting down next to her.

"Sure why not, it gets lonely sometimes when I'm out here."

"Lonely?" The boy repeated, singling out that word from the rest.

"Yeah, lonely." Kagome shrugged. "But if you're here, I guess that won't be a problem anymore." She held out the onigiri for him to take. InuYasha felt his voice catch in his throat and managed a 'Keh,' taking the onigiri from her hand, and rather subconsciously giving her a small but grateful smile.

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Next Chapter: A state of companionship, an injured bandit, and Kaede's quandary.