Disclaimer: I no own; you no sue. Not the story characters, and not the songs. Get it. Got it? Good.

A/N: I don't like Kikyou. I'm a fan of Inuyasha & Kagome, and Sesshoumaru &Rin. And of course, Miroku & Sango, as if that weren't already obvious. So anyways, sorry if you don't like. I like it so I wrote it this way. Go me!

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What If?

I feel angry I feel helpless
Want to change the world
I feel violent I feel alone
Don't try and change my mind
Society blind by color
Why hold down one to raise another
Discrimination now on both sides
Seeds of hate blossom further
The world is heading for mutiny
When all we want is unity
We may rise and fall, but in the end
We meet our fate together
creed One

Chapter One

Sixteen years ago...

He was running. It was as if he'd just awoken from a dream, but was still really groggy and confused. He didn't know what he was running for. He didn't even know who he was. Suddenly, he tripped and fell. He hit something, something that hurt. He wanted to call out, to let the pain overtake his body. But a voice told him to stay silent. Mere seconds later, something ran by him; something... unnatural. He didn't move. What if that thing comes back? he asked himself. Maybe that's what I was running from. Maybe it was trying to hurt me.

After he thought the thing was gone, he took a moment to try to figure things out. What did he know? Not much. He knew he'd been running, and that he was hurt now. No, he'd been hurt before. He could only see out of his left eye. He brought his right hand up to his right eye, but when he brought it away again it was covered in blood. There was blood covering his right eye, most of his face, his right hand, and he tasted it in his mouth. Wash it off, the voice said to him. He didn't know why, and he didn't know how he was going to do that.

It was late and dark. He could barely see. No, that wasn't quite right. He could see. And hear! There was a small river nearby. Slowly, he crawled to it and began to wash his face. It hurt, but he kept hearing the thought that he needed to get it off, get all the blood off. He paused to look at his reflection in the water. He was young; young enough to still be at home with his parents. He thought his silver hair and amber eyes were weird. But what caught his attention were the cuts, wounds, and slash marks that were everywhere!

He plunged his hands into the water again, throwing it on his face. "Arg!" he swore quietly. "This hurts... so bad!"

"Wh-who's there?" someone stuttered. He froze. "Sh-shippou? I-is that y-you? Oh, p-please b-be Shippou."

He saw a light approaching from behind him out of the corner of his eye. He turned toward the voice. It was female, he realized, and moments later the child appeared. She wasn't much taller than he was, but she looked nothing like him. Her hair was black and pulled into a ponytail on the side of her head; her eyes were a deep brown. She quickly realized that he was not who she thought he was and started screaming. He heard more voices, saw more fires and lanterns being lit. There's a village over there, he reasoned.

The child was still screaming he remembered. Seconds later, others appeared: taller, stronger, and armed to defend their child. He suddenly found arrows pointed at him from a distance. That's when it registered in his mind: They think I'm the demon the child was screaming about! He threw his hands and arms in the air, hoping they wouldn't hurt him. They jumped back a step at the sudden movement. Someone pulled the child away. I'm just a kid, he told himself. A young woman was pushing her way to the front of the crowd. They won't hurt me. I'm just a kid and I'm hurt. Surely they'll help me.

"Move aside, move aside!" the woman commanded. "Let me see what we're dealing with. Then I can decide how to-" She walked until she was only a few feet in front of him so she could see him clearly, unlike the rest of the group. She froze when she saw him. "Back up!" she ordered. "But keep your weapons trained. Why are you here?" she asked him. Not knowing the answer, he just shook his head. It hurt his face, but something told him not to wince. Just like when he fell, he would not let them know he was hurt. "What is your name?" A blank look was her answer. "Do you know it?" Again, he shook his head. "Do you know where you are?" Another negative answer. "Weapons down. Come with me," she said, turning to leave.

"Am I... I mean they said..." he stammered as he slowly dropped his arms and stood. The voice was back: Don't show emotion. Be distant with her. It had helped every other time he'd heard it so he was going to listen now. "She screamed demon and you all came running with weapons," he said in monotone. "Am I... I'm not a demon. Am I?" he asked, still emotionless.

The woman had turned and walked several feet by now, but she stopped to face him at these words. With a confused expression she said, "You don't know why you're here, where here is, or even your name. What can you tell me? Tell me everything you know." She walked a few feet closer to him and kneeled down so she was eye level with him. He hesitated, not sure if he should reveal just how vulnerable he was. "Tell me, please?"

Sighing, he whispered, "I know that I am hurt. Badly. I can only see out of my left eye. I cannot feel my legs past my knees, my left arm, or my right hand. I know there are fifteen men and three woman besides you, the girl, and myself. I can tell you how many houses are in the village you all came from. I know the woman behind and to my left would be faster in shooting me with an arrow than the man to your immediate left. I know colors, numbers, and letters; shapes, sounds, and all my motor functions. I know every plant and animal around me, and I can hear the doe three hundred meters to the west that is looking for a place to birth her fawn. I also know, though I don't know how, that I should stay emotionless and cautious; I should be nice and do as told, but not trusting," he whispered emotionlessly so only she could hear him.

The woman laughed lightly. "Very good. Now let me tell you what I know," she whispered so only the boy could hear her. "You cannot feel your legs, left arm, or right hand, or probably your face now that I look at it, because you've nearly bled to death. The only thing keeping you alive, I imagine, is the fact that your demon nature wills you to survive. Yes, you are demon. That explains your heightened senses. As for the bout of amnesia... I have no answers for that. You should know who you are, where you are, and why you're not at home. However, you don't so I will help you. We'll need to heal you since I doubt you remember how to heal yourself." She paused to smile. "Come," she said louder, so everyone could hear. "Would you like me to carry you?" He growled lightly in response. "Okay then. Please, call me Kagome."

The present...

"I'm so sick of this!" Inuyasha yelled, throwing his katana at Jaken who ducked to dodge it. The katana flew over the toad's head and into the wall. "For the last thirteen years, I've done nothing but what Father and Mother tell me to. All because my half-brother Sesshoumaru disappeared sixteen years ago. I'm sorry he's made you mad and made you cry. I'm sorry he's ruined everyone's lives, but why ruin mine because of it? Besides, tonight's the new moon. I get these days off and train extra hard the day after, when I'm my strongest."

"Master Inuyasha, please calm down. Master Hennyo told me to train you today... so he could challenge you tonight. I don't know how or when he'll do it, but he said he would. Please, if tonight goes well then you will have proven that you can take care of yourself at your most vulnerable times against a very strong opponent. Your father is one of the strongest in the lands you know. He should have challenged you years ago, but he wanted to make sure that you were ready. I believe that you are," Jaken said.

"Maybe if I just up and left like Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha muttered.

"Don't even think about it!" Inuyasha's mother breathed from the doorway.

"Mistress!" Jaken squeaked as he dropped to his hands and knees before her.

"Mother, I don't mean it," Inuyasha replied emotionlessly. "I was just venting."

"Well, vent silently. Now come to dinner," she said, turning toward the dining hall. "Jaken, you too. Come along." Inuyasha walked to katana that was stuck in the wall and set it to rights next to Tetsuaiga on his belt before following his mother. When the three walked into the dining hall, Hennyo was already seated at the head of the table. Inuyasha's mother kneeled to his left; Jaken would stand until Inuyasha was seated. Inuyasha began to kneel to his father's right when he was stopped.

"No," Hennyo said. "I'm sure Jaken has told you why you were training all day today so I'll spare you the theatrics. I challenge you Inuyasha, son of Hennyo. But this is not a normal challenge. I will not fight you. Your challenge is this Inuyasha: leave tonight and live outside palace life. Take only Tetsuaiga, two loaves of bread, and a canteen of water with you."

"If this is the challenge, then-" Inuyasha began.

"No! I will not loose another son!" Inuyasha's mother protested. "I cannot."

"You will be silent in this matter," Hennyo commanded emotionlessly.

"I will not loose another son!" she screamed.

"He was not your son!" Inuyasha yelled, his emotionless mask falling. He was tired of everything he had had to put up with for the last sixteen years. All his frustration was coming out now. "He was not yours Mother. He wasn't even Father's at heart. By blood maybe, but not by heart. He was my brother. When I was scared, he comforted me. When he was scared, he'd come talk to me. He'd never admit it, but I always knew. Always he confided in me. He told me when he was hurt, when he was confused, when he wanted to yell and shout because you didn't love him! But then he stopped doing that because I was the reason you ignored him except to train.

"And now look. He's gone and you're treating me as you treated him. The only difference in him and me is that I have no one to confide in. I'll take your challenge," Inuyasha said, his mask sliding back into place slowly. "And I'll succeed. So when I come back, I'll run this place as I see fit. How long do you wish me gone? One week? No, that's not long enough. A month? A year? How long, Father, until you will allow me home? I've got it!" he said in sarcasm. "Until I find him. Yes, until I've found Sesshoumaru. That's what this is about, right?"

"How dare you!" Hennyo roared. "How dare you question anything about me and my son! He was my son in every way possible: mind, body, spirit, and soul! I loved him more than you'll ever be able to comprehend. If I ever pushed him too hard know that I pushed myself. Hurting him hurt me. And your mother. She may not have given birth to him, but he was her son as well. We loved him. And we waited for over three years! How dare you question my love for my firstborn?"

"You can't even say his name!" Inuyasha yelled, his emotions gaining control once more.

"Because it hurts!" Inuyasha's mother yelled back. "Every single time I think it, I want to cry and drown in the pool my tears make. If I were to say it, gods above only know what that would do to my still unhealed heart. I loved him, Inuyasha. He was not my flesh, and he was not my blood. But by the gods he was my son."

"Maybe it would help to say his name," Inuyasha said, gaining complete control of his emotions now. "I'm gone. Send word when I may return home. Don't worry, Mother. I will be fine." With that said, Inuyasha lay his katana on the table and walked to the kitchen. He wrapped to loaves of bread into a sack, placed on his belt, then filled a canteen and slung it over his arm. Then, he walked out the front door.

"Do something!" Hennyo's mate cried. Hennyo simply shook his head. How would he explain that every single pup in the demon world was forced from his home for a time, whether it be a challenge or not, when they were of age? "Then i will," she said with a huff. "Jaken, you will follow him. Keep him safe. If he asks why you're there, tell him... tell him it's a condition of the challenge. Tell him he's to keep you safe and report to you. Once a week, twice a month at least. Just please... please keep him safe. I cannot loose another son," she pleaded. "I'm begging you."

"Yes Mistress," Jaken replied with a low bow. He quickly headed out the door in search of his young master.

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A/N: So, thanks again to my impromtu beta-reader CreativeChilde, whom I think was possessed by demons (and not cool ones like Sesshoumaru or Hennyo) tonight. I mean, she was all giggly (which is nothing new) BUT IT WAS WITH A CHILD WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A DITCH IN A BOX! CRAZY CHILD! She (the child, not CreativeChilde) wasn't really; she's one of our church leaders daughters and she's like, what? Ten? Maybe. Anyways... that's all I have to say. Good-night everybody!