Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Not even water is clearer than that. And Yuki and Shuichi from Gravitation will be here. Needless to say, they don't belong to me either. If I say anymore, I'll ruin the story so I'll leave it at that!

Uh...enjoy Scroll Twelve!

Scroll Twelve
Long Way to Go

"Did you see Lady Kikyou come back to the village last night?"

"No, but my husband and some other men had formed a small group to go and find her. They feared something had happened to her."

"So then what?"

"Well, he said that they were about to go searching for her, but she came back before they could, with her haori all torn and beaten."

"What? What happened?"

"Well, she didn't say but..." The middle-aged woman paused to take a sip of her tea, enjoying the attention of the other women surrounding her. It was a custom for the middle-aged women of the village to get together and share the events of the village once a week in one of their homes. These meetings also proved to be useful when wanting to spread a rumor. The said woman put her cup back down with the delicacy of a child and folded her hands in her lap. "I think it was the half-breed."

The women gasped, some putting a hand over their mouths and others giving the storyteller an I-knew-it-look. They knew very well of the miko's friendship with the hanyou, yet it was...social decencythat made some act surprised at the news.

But they all knew too well what was happening. They knew because of the pleasant change in the miko's attitude. They knew because they too had once been young. And they knew what it was like to be hypnotized by the attention of a boy. But the mere thought of their miko interacting with a half-breed was enough to spark gossip and turmoil in the small village, especially amongst the women.

"I swear, the miko spends too much time with that half-breed."

"I thought she had exterminated him long ago!"

"The children themselves claim they get along with him!"

"Do you think it was he who attacked her?"

"Even if it was, I doubt the miko would have said so."

"My goodness. Do you think they've...you know."

Many outraged gasps were exhaled.

"Blasphemy! How dare you speak that way of Lady Kikyou?"

"Well, it certainly is very hard not to speak that way," reasoned another woman.

They continued this discussion for many minutes; none noting that little Kaede was listening to every spoken word. She was in her best friend's house and she couldn't help but listen to them as she waited for her best friend to return from the restroom. Even though she was in another room, the walls of the home were pretty thin.

"What a repulsive idea."

"It truly is. I cannot imagine someone as pure as Lady Kikyou...mixing with someone as sinful as that half-breed. His mere existence is sinful."

At this statement, many "I agree" and "Yes" replies were said, and little Kaede couldn't wait any longer for her friend.

"What do you think Lady Kikyou sees in that half-breed?"

"Perhaps she's desperate? She is a priestess after all. Even infatuations are forbidden."

"If that's the case then she's dis—"

When Kaede made her appearance in the room the women were in, a sudden hush filled the air, and many women refused to make eye contact with her. Kaede excused herself from the residence and ran to her sister.

"She's disgusting."

-

She could tell it would start snowing soon, so stacking up on herbs had become a priority. But that didn't keep her from listening to what her little sister had to say. "And then the other lady said that maybe ye were 'desperate'."

Kikyou listened intently to her little sister's news, though her herb-picking actions seemed as if she only held mild interest in her sister's words. "She did, did she?" she asked indifferently.

"And then this other lady was saying something, but she stopped when she saw me," finished Kaede, holding tightly to her sister's arrows.

"I see..." was Kikyou's calm response. Kikyou said nothing for a long time as she continued to pick herbs. She mused over Kaede's tale. So the village women were worried about her relationship with Inuyasha, were they? If that was their reaction at mere assumptions, she wondered how they'd react when they found out the truth.

Not that the 'truth' was extreme or shocking either. They were only friends after all.

She looked back to her sister and noticed a questioning stare in her innocent, hazel eyes. Softening her face a bit, she asked, "Kaede, what's bothering you?"

Kaede looked a bit taken aback, but regained her composure quickly, trying her best to keep cool like her sister. "Uh...I was wondering what those women meant with their words," she said. "What do they mean about ye being 'desperate'?"

Kikyou stared calmly at Kaede, but her mind was racing for an explanation a child could understand. Suddenly she felt very sad for her little sibling. If anyone found about her friendship with Inuyasha, Kaede would most likely be forced to live alienated. "Kaede...I think they believe I'm looking for a...partner."

"Partner?" she asked innocently.

"Yes. You know...like a husband."

"They think ye wants Inuyasha for a husband?" she asked, a little too loudly, Kikyou thought. "That's weird! Ye would never do that, would ye, sister?" she asked, almost giggling from the absurdity of it all.

"...Kaede, would you mind taking these and storing them in the room were I store the other herbs?" Kikyou exchanged the herbs for her arrows and smiled gently at her little sister. "I have something I must do."

Kaede, knowing it was useless trying to argue with her older sister, walked slowly back to the village.

"Ye would never do that, would ye, sister?"

To take in a husband?

"I would have to be in love to do something like that," she said to herself. With her right hand, she reached for the jewel around her neck and held it with a melancholy possessiveness. "But I gave that up a long time ago."

-

Inuyasha belched and smirked at the disconcerted faces of the children nearby. After deciding that a demon was surely around, they yelped and ran off to their homes. Satisfied with the children's frightened faces, Inuyasha started his journey to look for the stupid wench, when a pair of idiots distracted him from his mission.

"Yuki...! Don't you think this is a bit risky?"

"Stop whining...no one will find us here."

Curiosity got the better of him, forgetting completely that it was said curiosity had killed the cat.

He stopped himself from leaping to the next tree and dug his claws into the tree he was on at the moment. He moved over some dead leaves that had stubbornly clung onto the tree's branches to get a better view of the pair of voices coming from below.

"But someone might see us!" said a pink-haired boy, and Inuyasha knew he couldn't be older than eighteen. He wore a simple and worn-out haori with the sleeves cut off and shorts that looked to be made to work in the fields. His feet were as dirty as his sandals, but he had a nice, creamy tan on his face and arms. He looked to the man in front of him with his violet eyes. "Then they'll drive me from the village..." He looked to the ground, letting his pink bangs fall over his eyes. "Or they'll kill both you and me."

"Stop being so pessimistic," said the older man, who looked to be in his early twenties. "It's not like you to be like that." The man was the complete opposite of the boy. He was very tall and had strange yellow hair that was stylishly trimmed a bit above his neck. His yellow bangs almost covered his golden eyes and he was as pale as a woman was. His kimono looked very expensive, and Inuyasha was sure he was of a noble and wealthy family. "And it's pissing me off."

"Ah! I'm sorry Yuki! Please don't be mad!" cried the boy loudly, bowing his head further in forgiveness. Suddenly his head shot up to meet Yuki's gaze. "I promise I won't say things like that again!"

"That's what you said last time, and look how long that lasted," said Yuki, looking off into the distance. "Sometimes I wonder why I waste my time with you."

"No Yuki! Don't say that!" cried the younger boy, and he clung onto Yuki's kimono. "I promise I'll be good!"

Yuki smirked, seemingly satisfied and looked back down at the boy. "Look...if we ever do get caught...I'll make sure you're safe," he assured the boy.

"B-but...what about you, Yuki?" asked the boy sadly, still holding tightly onto Yuki's kimono.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, Shuichi."

Suddenly, the pink-haired boy's face lit up with joy. "Yuki...!" he breathed out. "Yuki—you...you said my name!"

"So?" asked Yuki indifferently.

"Oh, Yuki! Say it again!" cried Shuichi, holding onto Yuki's kimono tighter than ever.

"Hey! Stop crying! You're getting drool and snot all over my kimono!" complained Yuki, trying helplessly to peal Shuichi off of him.

"Yuki, I love you!" screamed Shuichi, and he pushed Yuki to the ground out of pure delight.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, almost fell from the tree. WHAT?

After a few minutes, Yuki gave up trying to push Shuichi off of him, and let him rest on top of him as he stared at the gray sky. Inuyasha had a mad urge to scream at them that they were disgusting, until Shuichi asked, "Yuki...why won't people accept us?"

"Because we're different," was Yuki's response.

"What a stupid reason," pouted Shuichi.

"Yeah...people are stupid," added Yuki, caressing Shuichi's pink locks. "They've got a long way to go."

-

Miwa Fon was never a close friend to Kikyou, but her mother (and her mother's friends) thought she was the closest acquaintance the miko had. Strangely enough, Ichigo, Kaede's best friend, was younger sister to Miwa. So she pushed Miwa to have a little chat with the miko, to find out if she was in danger of falling for the half-breed, if she hadn't already.

The plan was set into motion when Kikyou took Kaede to Ichigo's place, two nights after the miko had returned with tattered attire. Miwa had offered to take Kaede to the festival in the lord's castle, in celebration of a new male heir to the throne. Kikyou reluctantly agreed.

When the little girls went to pick out a kimono for Kaede for the next night, Miwa kept the miko company. Miwa led Kikyou to her bedroom so they could speak in private. "Are you sure you won't accompany us tomorrow, Lady Kikyou?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid I cannot," was Kikyou's response.

"Oh, hey. I want to show you my kimono. Can you help me put it on?" she asked before adding, "If it's not too much to ask?"

"Of course not."

Miwa carefully grabbed a kimono that was hanging from a wall and showed it proudly to the miko. It was made from a cheap but beautiful, almost silky, lavender fabric and on it were skillfully threaded a trail of small yellow flowers. "I made it myself," she stated, pressing it to her figure as if to give the miko a preview as to how it would look on her in a few minutes.

"It's beautiful," smiled Kikyou sincerely.

Miwa couldn't help but feel a bit guilty over what she was about to do. She knew that the miko was a kind and unselfish person, and she couldn't understand why her mother and all the other older village women wanted to pry on her personal life after all that she had done for them. But she had to agree with her mother. It would be disgraceful if she were to end up with that half-breed.

The hostess wasted no time in getting dressed first and finished faster than expected with the help of the miko. When she finished pinning up her short, raven hair, and was certain of having her guest's attention, she let out her next question casually. "I've heard a half-breed dwells within the forest."

For the first time in the years she'd known Kikyou did she see her facial expression turn nervous. But just as quickly as she saw her get uneasy, the emotion disappeared. "You heard correctly."

"Ah! So he must be in search of the Sacred Jewel as well!" she said, knowing this was true. She grabbed the white cover up and applied it generously on her face. When Kikyou said nothing, Miwa continued her investigation. "I'm sure you'll soon rid his presence from this earth."

"He poses no threat to me or you." Kikyou looked hard at her. "Please do not pursue the subject."

Miwa couldn't tell if the statement was meant as a civil command or threat, but she was sure she knew what was going on. She questioned the miko no more and applied bright red gloss on her lips. She then drew a long, thin black line over each of her eyes. Turning to Kikyou, she smiled, "I trust your judgment, priestess." She did a gentle twirl. "So, what do you think, Lady Kikyou?"

-

It was such a pretty day. The sun was high in the sky, and it's blue blush spread all the way over the mountains.
Then she heard people scream.

She ran as fast as she could to her home.

She had to find her sister.

People were shouting and running, and she didn't know why.

She was scared.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of red, and one of her eyes started to burn. She touched her eye, and screamed when she saw blood.

Then the whole village set on fire.

That's when she heard her sister scream something. She turned around and saw the sacred tree, Goshinboku. Someone was hanging from the tree.

She turned around again, with a hand over her injured eye.

There she was. Her big sister.

But she was bleeding from her arm. And all at once, flames sprouted from the ground and encircled her.

She stumbled and fell on her knees. She called out to her sister, but no sound came from her throat.

All she could do was watch.

Her sister looked angry and sad. She grabbed the jewel hanging from around her neck and crushed it in her hands.

Then a huge, black spider crawled onto the offended arm, and she could have sworn it was laughing.

And then, her sister collapsed.

She watched as she burned into the ground.

Kaede woke up screaming. She touched her eye, making sure it was still in tact and properly functioning. Her hand was shaking. She peeled the blanket off of her and found her nightgown was wet with sweat.

This was the second time she had had this dream. What did it mean, though?

She was still shaking. She needed to tell her sister about it.

She ran to her sister's room, using what little light that was shining through the window to guide her to her destination. "Sister Kikyou!"

It was empty.

It took her a while to remember that Kikyou had said she'd be home late.

Kaede sighed, and crawled back into her futon.

It was going to be a long night.

-

She met with him that night again. "I'm sorry I haven't come by. I've been busy."

"Whatever. It's not like I was waiting for you."

She sighed, but let a small smile shape her lips. On her way into the forest, he had protected her from a demon that was sneaking up from behind. Perhaps he could have been...neater in exterminating it (the blood had managed to seep into her haori), but his action had given her more reasons to trust him. Forget that he was half-demon. He was probably one of the most loyal friends anyone could have. He might be half-demon, but he was also half-human.

He jumped down from the tree he was resting on and sat next to her. "...I didn't mean to ruin your haori," he said.

She looked at him, and found his intense gaze fixed on the blood on her sleeve. "It's okay. I can wash it off," she assured him, and held up her arm for him to see the stain in her sleeve.

He looked at it for a very long time, making her somewhat nervous. When she tried to move her arm away from him, he caught a hold of it and started to sniff her arm. "Hey...what are you doing?" asked an alarmed Kikyou.

At that point, he tore off her sleeve and held her arm closer to his amber eyes. "You're hurt," he stated after a while.

Kikyou, not really knowing what to do, just stared as he inspected the flesh in her arm. He squeezed her arm a bit, and blood started to flow out, if only just a bit. He called that getting hurt? "It's only a scratch. I must have hurt myself with my bow or arrow in the confusion earlier."

"Bullshit. This is all my fault."

She looked at him, slightly dumbfounded. Her chocolate eyes watched as he momentarily let go of her arm to tear at her severed sleeve, and she assumed he was aiming to use it as bandages. He grabbed a hold of her arm again and he licked her arm.

"Ah! What are—"

"This is the quickest way for it to heal. My spit might not be as strong as a real demon's," he explained, not disturbed by the situation at all, "but it's better than nothing."

It was a shame she didn't share his same views. It was a good thing it was too dark for him to see her blush. "It will heal when it is ready," she said in her monotonous voice, and she tried to pull away her arm from his strong hold. However, Inuyasha was a very stubborn hanyou.

"I'm telling you this is the quickest way," he said, puling her arm back gently towards him.

"It will heal in time," insisted the miko, and she pulled her arm back again, more forcefully this time.

"Dammit, bitch, I'm trying to help you here!" he yelled, making the miko frown.

"I understand, but I can take care of my arm on my own!"

"Give me your arm!"

"No!"

"Give it to me!"

"No!"

Inuyasha forgot completely that he was dealing with a girl, and pulled her arm to him so forcefully, that not only did he pull her arm towards him, but also the miko, and she flew straight into him.

And that is how their first kiss was initiated.

It was no more than a mere brush of the lips that lasted three seconds tops, but it was enough to make them both shut up and pretend nothing happened. Instead, Kikyou quickly got off of him and held out her arm for him to bandage, and Inuyasha quickly bandaged her arm and bid her farewell.

That was the first time Kikyou considered the possibility of falling in love. Everything made sense. But reality was harsh, and she knew that, when people saw them, they didn't see a girl and a boy. They saw a miko and a hanyou. To them, it would be like uniting a predator and a prey. She sighed deeply as she entered her home. They had a long way to go.

End of Scroll Twelve

Yay! I finished! Review please! Please! PLEASE! You know, I saw that new feature thing: the 'hit'...thing, and my story was viewed over one hundred times, but I didn't see one review more! What the hell is that! So PLEASE review you people who never review!

Adios!

Oh. I will be reediting chapters one through...probably eight, so updating will be slower. Except this next update will be Friday, cause I'm almost finished with it. So, yeah...review please!