Chapter Three: The Same Old Thing

Well…Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad that one of you reviewers managed to point out that there is no elastic string for a bow. And to comment, elastic does not mean to me that I'm incorporating modern items. As long as there is a story, it is worth reading it. Anyway, I'll correct that, and please continue to give me critical reviews. (e.g. warn me if the character is too OOC)


Chapter Three

The sky had darkened. It was already night. Inuyasha lowered his head as the arrows continued to stay firmly in the trunk, which also continued to pin his clothes to the tree. It was to no avail. The arrows were firmly embedded into the tree bark, charmed with a certain spell that made it difficult to remove.

Damn bitch of a priestess…How dare she pin me to this tree for the night…

The white-haired half-demon continued to look down at the grass near the half-submerged roots of the tree. His white dog-like ears twitched suddenly as he looked up to hear the source of the sudden sound. He stared at the darkness throughout the clearing through his yellowish-gold irises. Two dark figures appeared in front sharp fall on the ground, she was cushioned by the emerald grass at the bottom of the tree. In her fall, three arrows fell off the trunk as her priestess powers allowed her to release them. probably around fifty years in human years but seven or eight in demon years. "What demon is this? He looks human yet looks youkai."

"Oh," came a reply of a hostile tone. The creature pinned to the tree was about to hear the same thing again. "This is a heathen of our society, a beast with half-demon half-human looks. A shameful result of a human and demon."

"Who are you calling beast, wretch?" The impulsive nature of Inuyasha began to take effect again. He started to growl, which made the younger demon move behind his parent. "I'm better than you damned youkais!" The hanyou could only hear the seductive chuckling of a female demon as the dark figures began to melt into the darkness of the clearing once again. The half-human lowered his head once again.

Beast, eh? I'll show you someday when I get my hands on that jewel…

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The sun shone brightly as it marked the start of a new day. Farmers began to emerge from their wooden houses to tend to their livestock. Kikyo emerged from her hut as she opened the door of her hut, allowing the sunlight to enter her humble abode.

"Ohayou gozaimasu Kikyo-sama," came the respect from one of the villagers. The priestess gave a bow in return. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," the priestess replied back with warmth to her fellow villagers. "Now please go along with your work." The villager nodded his head and went back to his job.

"Oneesan…" Kikyo heard her little sister call her as she turned back to see a just awakened little girl before her. "Did you offend someone?"

"I do not offend others," her elder sister replied in confusion. Kneeling down to look at her sibling, Kikyo questioned, "Why do you ask?"

"I couldn't sleep much last night."

"And why's that?"

"Someone was shouting your name with his words full of foul language," Kaede confessed as she rubbed her sleepy eye. "Very loud, oneesan."

Could it be that mad demon…half-demon…?

Turning back to little Kaede, the priestess placed a hand on her tiny shoulder, reassuring her of safety. "The villagers need firewood," she spoke as she took up a firewood holder and placed it on her shoulders, complemented with her bow and arrow too. "We need to hurry before any demon comes in by noon as soon as the magical barrier around the village is at its weakest then."

The one-eyed girl nodded, following her kin into the woods. In the distance, little did the pair know that they were been watched. A demonic figure peered out of one of the trees' thick leaves.

"So the magic barrier is at its weakest at noon," it hissed as it stared at the direction of the Shikon-Tama shrine perched on the hill. "The most dangerous time is the most perfect time, eh?"

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Kaede walked through the clearing. Her elder sister had told her to pick firewood or small twigs to the full. The morning sun was still shining brightly, with the mild temperature throughout the area. The one-eyed girl looked everywhere for twigs hidden in the grass as she held them with one arm against her daisy pattern kimono. In the distance, something caught her eye.

"W-what in the world is this?" Kaede looked as she observed the creature pinned to the tree by five arrows through its red kimono. True, she had seen a youkai before, but never one this strange such as the one stuck onto the trunk. The demon-like creature seemed to be deep in slumber with its head leaning to one side. Only the most significant that caught Kaede's eye was its two white furry ears sticking out of its long white mane.

"Is he a dog or human?" The little girl climbed onto it by grabbing the arrows. Finding the ears too attractive, Kaede began to rub them. Indeed, the ears were soft and warm but always seemed to twitch with every small sound made. "Half, I guesssssss…."

Kaede lost her footing as she began to fall. In her panic, she grabbed the creature's two ears for dear life. It was to no avail, for her weight along was dragging her down. The creature began to stir.

Inuyasha woke up as he felt pain shoot through his head. As he opened his eyes, he saw a young girl's face with an eye patch over one holding on to his ears. And it was getting more painful as Kaede continued to hold on to the ears.

Kaede lost her hold as she stared at the scary yellowish-golden eyes of Inuyasha. A sharp fall on the ground, she was cushioned by the emerald grass at the bottom of the tree. In her fall, three arrows fell off the trunk as her priestess powers allowed her to release them. With a strong pull, Inuyasha pulled off the remaining arrows. At instance he jumped onto the ground staring hard at the young girl, baring his sharp fangs. Kaede wore a frightened expression on her face.

"You stupid brat! How dare you grab my ears for support!" He shouted at her angrily while rubbing his two stretched ears. "If you were an adult, I'll rip out your ears immediately!"

"Y-you c-can t-talk-k?" Kaede was surprised at Inuyasha's sudden scare, and his piercing demonic eyes which stared at hers. The hanyou did not answer, he continued to growl angrily at her.

"What's going on, Kaede?" Kikyo walked into the clearing, noticing that her sister's safety was being jeopardized by a half-demon she had pinned to the tree a day ago.

"Oh? It's the damned wench of a priestess again," Inuyasha got up from his aggressive crawl towards Kaede. Suddenly, he grabbed the little girl's small hand who squealed in pain as a response. "Give me the Shikon Jewel, or I'll chop this girl into many pieces!" He showed his sharp claws.

Kikyo did not reply. Instead, she walked closer to the hanyou and Kaede who was still squealing in pain. As she came nearer to them, Inuyasha took a step further with Kaede having to follow as he held her arm tightly.

"If you come any nearer," he threatened as he continued to step backwards. "I'll kill this little girl!"

"You wouldn't dare," Kikyo spoke calmly as she continued her stroll towards them.

"I will!" Inuyasha was persistent. "Give me the Shikon Jewel and I will release her!"

"Oh really?" She was sarcastic in her rejoinder. "Then prove it."

"Oneesan!" Kaede shouted back suddenly. "I don't want to die here…!" She only got a cold stare from her sister. Kikyo continued to walk towards Inuyasha. In a moment, the priestess quickly took out her bow and arrow, aiming at the half-demon's heart.

"Kill me, and this brat dies with me!" Inuyasha suddenly picked up Kaede and placed it before him as a shield. "Now give me the Shikon Jewel, you bitch!"

Kikyo placed her bow and arrow down. As soon she did so, the hanyou placed the child down too. In a swift moment and without Inuyasha sensing it, the priestess came up to him and gave him a tight slap on the cheek with a strong hand.

"Despicable jerk," she stared at Inuyasha hard who had come down with shock. To think that he had been slapped by a girl for a first time, it was a complete humiliation. "To think you could use a child to shield you from the dangers."

"You wench!" Inuyasha was still hard on fighting with the priestess. "Kill me then." As he loosened his grip on Kaede, she ran back to her sister, who held her by the hand.

"I have no wish to kill you," she replied. "You are just a waste of arrows, like what I said the day before. Now begone!" As soon as she had finished her words, Kikyo took Kaede by the hand again, and picked up the firewood holder which had been filled to the brim. It was time to return home, and the Sun's position showed that it was near the centre of the sky.

He wouldn't dare to attack back…He's just childish…

Kikyo's thinking was to come true. As soon as she had walked near the side of the clearing, she felt a force tugging back her red hakama. It was no other than Inuyasha himself. The dog half-demon was biting her clothing and tugging back, with him growling too. He stared at the priestess' expressionless face with an angry stare.

"Don't act childish."

It was no use. Inuyasha continued to tug at her hakama. At this rate, her garment was going to tear. It was to be true too. As soon as the hanyou tugged strongly at the clothing, it gave way as it broke. The lower back of her right leg was exposed.

"Inuyasha you idiot!" Kikyo was getting crosser. He had become innocent-looking after realizing his grave mistake. The priestess and her sister ran off as she turned behind to stare angrily at the half-demon. "You'll pay for this!"

"Bitch! I'll get the Shikon Jewel from you!"

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"Oneesan," Kaede asked her humiliated sister. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," she replied as they emerged from the woods to find the villagers fighting another youkai again with their rakes and sickles. Putting her hand to her forehead, she shook her head again.

"Another demon coming to take the Shikon Jewel again," she spoke as she dropped her firewood holder, and rushed towards the demon with her bow and arrow. "It's the same old thing again."


Okay, done with this chapter. See ya someday again…for you reviewers! ;)

Glossary:

Ohayou gozaimasu : Polite Japanese greeting for 'Good Morning'

-sama : the greeting to exalt a person as someone of glory or importance etc