Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything associated with it.

A Study of Bias
By Lacey Beans


Youkai.

I had never considered myself racist.

"You're so blind!"

Fangs.

I had always thought that I was open and embraced all cultures. American, Spanish, Russian, black, white, or brown. Communist or Capitalist, it never mattered to me….

"Why can't you look past it?"

Claws.

Whatever religion a person might be. Shinto, Buddhist, Christian, or Jewish. I would care for them all, had met them all, and I had befriended people from all.

"Is he really so terrible?"

Deadly.

All it took was four years to show me how terribly powerful a bias, a racism, could be.

"What does it matter what he is? It's who he is that you should see!"

Heartless.

I had never really tried to look past certain things, certain beliefs, for I was too deeply steeped in what I thought is right. Is good. Is correct.

Golden eyes.

White hair.

Ears like a dog's.

Different.

Different like this was supposed to be bad. Different like this was supposed to be evil.

"He's a good person! You hurt him when you do this, even if he doesn't show it, he still hurts like everyone else!"

Filthy.

I thought I had been protecting my family, my loved ones. Warning off the bad, the evil. Keeping my precious granddaughter safe.

"I just don't understand why!"

Half-breed.

In reality, I had been hurting her, not just the young man.

"He's kind and caring. He has a heart. He has a soul! I've seen him do amazing things because he can feel. I know!"

Worthless.

She was so vehement. Here was my granddaughter viciously defending something, no…someone I hadn't thought I would ever meet. That I didn't even believe to be. I may have claimed to believe, but truly I did not.

"He's gentle and loving and protects those he cares for. I know he's harsh and rude, but his time, his world, is harsh and cruel. He doesn't judge and neither should you!"

Hanyou.

And it was all true.

How many times had she come back alive?
How many times had he come back wounded so she wouldn't have to?
How many times had I seen her smile for him like he was her world, and smile for him alone?
How many times had he returned the smile with such gentleness when he thought none were watching him?

They ate together, traveled together, fought together, and lived together.

They lived.

And when no one was watching, or so they thought, they loved. The two might not have known it, or admitted it, or wanted to admit it, but it was true whatever the reason.

He stayed in her room all night.
He followed her wherever she might go.
She followed him into death itself, not once, but twice.
He cared for those she cared for, even if he had no ties to them.
She gave him everything she could give to him, her very being, and more at times.
She did everything in her power to love him and care for him and make it known he was loved and cared for.

And it is all true and she was right and I am…I am a senile, old man, a fool really. Unworthy of my granddaughter's love and unworthy of his forgiveness, and yet I must try. I won't be forgiven, but I must ask anyways, if only to let it be known that I am wrong and ashamed of what I have done.

And so I move from the house, outside, to the tree that their lives revolve around. The Sacred Tree, Goshiboku,that cradledthe young man in his fifty year sleep as a boy. This holy entity, this sacred thing, accepted him, and yet I could not. Why hadn't I?

"I apologize for my behavior. For all that I have said and done. I have judged harshly before knowing, time after time, and that is unforgivable," I said, bowing my head in deference to the young man.

Golden eyes, white hair, and he was before me, ears focused intently on my every action. If he so chose to strike me down, it was well within the young man's right to do so.

And then this old man truly knew he was wrong. I was proven guilty of my crimes beyond any doubt. I opened my eyes that I had unknowingly shut as the silence danced on.A strong hand was on my shoulder, gripping when it could break, claws carefully placed when they could shred. Golden eyes locked with my own and fangs flashed in a moving mouth.

"It don't matter. I've heard it all my life, I'm used to it."

"But," I said, "I was wrong."

"No," his eyes flashed, willing me to know that he understood….something, "You were protecting your family."

And there it was. The young man before me was different, yes, but exactly the same as any other human, any other person.

Protection.

He knew and understood.

"Heh, it's like I said," he shrugged and removed his hand, folding his arms back into voluminous red sleeves, "it don't matter."

A small smile appeared on his face then, "Is Higurashi-san making dinner?"

Yes," I said nodding, slightly shaken from the colossal reconciliation that had happened in only a few words, "She's almost done."

He nodded then also, and started towards the house, yelling up to my granddaughter's room, "Oi! Go eat dinner, Kagome, and then get through the well!"

"You gonna' stay?" her head popped out the window. It was very much a Romeo and Juliet like scene to me….only a little more realistic somehow, even as it was more fantasy. I shook my head at the sight.

"Nope, so hurry up. I want ramen tonight."

"Mou, alright! I'll be there in an hour."

He turned to walk away only to find me in his path. The youth looked surprised and confused, nodding his head once as he unfolded his arms to his sides. He stood proudly, defiantly awaiting what I was to say.

"I would be honored if you joinedthe family and I for dinner," I invited him.

He watched me for a second as I bowed, "Keh, whatever old man. If you're trying to get my forgiveness you already had it. I told you, you were protecting your family. I get that," and he smirked.

I moved towards the house, pausing so he knew to follow.

And he did.

"Grandfather," came the harsh, formal greeting as I entered, followed by a very surprise, "Mou, Inuyasha, you're fickle today!"

"Whatever," he cut a smirk towards her, "I got offered food so I'm here."

"But you told me no!"

"Keh, I was asked again," and his fangs flashed, "Way nicer than you ever do…"

Yesterday I would have slapped an ofuda on his head for threatening her so, but today I just watched the interplay. I was amazed because it was just that. Play.

"Whatever! Come sit down and eat."

And he did.

"Jii-chan?" she asked quietly, "Are you going to eat?"

Ah, so she knew. Perhaps the two could talk telepathically somehow, some special youkai ability….or maybe she was just observant.

"Oh, yes," I said happily as I seated myself at the head of the table, "I was just enjoying the view of my family."

And I was. And it was nice.

Who knew that I had such cruel thoughts and feelings?

One boy, used to the world's cruelness, taught me that even the best people fall prey to old ideas that should never have been.

One girl, my granddaughter and one of the joys of my life, accused me of being something I never thought I could be.

I can only hope to learn from the young ones before me. To see the good in everything in a world that seems bad and dark and evil. Racism…Ithought on that word. Who knew that it could cross species even?

"You're….you're so racist!"

And the memory, etched by my granddaughter's voice would forever echo in my mind. But the mistake would never come to pass again. I promised them and myself that silently as we ate, and enjoyed life like I hadn't for a long while.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Author's Note:

Basically this is a Jii-chan's POV about four years after Kagome had first met Inuyasha. Apparently Jii-chan has said or done something (one too many ofuda and perhaps a rude comment?) and Inuyasha has taken himself outside so things will calm down and be easier for Kagome.
She goes off on her grandfather and this sparks a long train of thought for the old man, which leads to his acceptance that he has been wrong.

The bold is what Jii-chan thought was true about Inuyasha, what his bias was.

The italicized in quotes were what Kagome told him when she got upset. They are not happening now in the story, they've already happened.

The bold and italicized "Golden eyes. White hair. Ear's like a dog's. Different." was Jii-chan's view of Inuyasha.

The bold and italicized word 'Protection.' was when Inuyasha and Jii-chan finally understood one another. They both were protecting their 'family', i.e. Kagome.