I came up with this at random one night, very late. The moment I finished I knew it was going to be more than an odd little one shot, like I had originally planned. I didn’t post it till I had finished the next chapter, which I now have, so here it is, my newest story. The title may change later on, but for now, it will be known as The Great Jewel Hunt

Oh yeah, I just remembered. I do not own Inuyasha or Kagome or any of the other people who you will recognize and go “Hey, she stole him/her from Inuyasha.”  They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, whose brain I want to steal and replace with my own. Hers is cooler.

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Chapter 1: Half Puppy love

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It couldn’t be far. She knew it hadn’t been that long since she’d left the village. How far could she have gotten?

Far enough to be completely and utterly lost.

And unarmed.

Not good.

Hard as she tried to fight it, panic began to rise in her chest, tightening against her heart. She was lost, alone, didn’t have a clue where she was, alone, unarmed, and, worst of all, alone. This was not good. Very not good.

A ten year old girl began breathing very fast, completely unsure of what to do. If she kept wandering the way she was, she’d never find her way back to the village. Then again, if she just stayed and waited for someone to find her, most likely what found her would be a demon. She had heard of evil demons before, enough to know that some of them liked to eat little girls like her…or worse, though that wasn’t just a demon thing.

That was when she heard it. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to send that panic up to her throat, where it tightened and quickened her breathing.

The snap of a twig. That was all it took to send her fear skyrocketing. The simple snap of a twig. Behind her. Close.

What to do, what to do. She didn’t want the…whatever it was to know she was afraid. That was a recipe for death. Bravely as she could, she stood straighter and cleared her throat.

“Sh…show yourself!” she squeaked. Oh, yeah, that’d frighten the whatever it was away. It was probably running scared after that declaration. Sure it was. She mentally berated herself. She was terrified, and now the damned thing knew it.

Maybe she could run, but where? Most likely she’d end up deeper in the woods and the thing would find her a few minutes later. It was hopeless. She was hopeless. It was going to kill her right there, and she couldn’t do a damn thing about it. So much for the ‘powers of a priestess’ she was supposed to have. Maybe the power to taste yucky.

With that last defeated thought, she sank to the ground beside a tree. And started to cry.

The bushes near the snapping twig rustled. Oh no. She let out another strangled sob.

But the voice that spoke next didn’t sound so scary.

“D…d…don’t cry,” it said. That didn’t sound like a demon, or a bad man. It sounded like…like a kid. Like a boy, actually. The little priestess’ head shot up to look at her audience.

Well, he certainly looked like a boy. Almost. Something wasn’t quite right about him. His hair, for one, was long and white. And his eyes. There wasn’t anything really wrong with them, they were just a strange color. Gold, or maybe amber. No boy she knew had eyes that color. Then there were those ears. They were triangular, shaped like the ears of a dog, and nestled right at the top of his head a couple of inches apart. Now those were really cute ears! Aside form those oddities, he looked like any other boy. Maybe her age or within a year or so of it, and wearing a confused and uncomfortable expression.

“What did you say?” she asked him, her fear evaporating at the completely unthreatening look of him. If these were demons, maybe she’d bring them home and play with them, ‘cause she rather liked the look of this one.

“I said not to cry. Please.” He added as an after thought, maybe thinking it would help. She hardly noticed.

“Are you a demon?” the girl asked the boy. “You aren’t a human, certainly.” She gestured curiously to his ears, which twitched self consciously as he reached up to cover one with a hand.

“I’m, um, half,” he said shyly, no longer seeming able to meet her eyes.

“Half?” she inquired again, wanting him to clarify.

“Yeah, half. Half a demon, half a human. Half.”

“Oh,” she said, nodding, though she didn’t really get it. How could a person be half a demon?

It was quiet for a moment as the boy gathered the courage to speak. “Why were you crying, girl?” he managed to ask.

“I was not!” she answered defensively.

“Yes, you were,” he insisted.

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

“Was not!” she said loudly, waiting for him to dispute her lie again, (She was kind of enjoying the little debate) but he didn’t. He was acting weird. His ears were pricked straight up, and he was looking over into the trees off to the right. The look on his face made her nervous. He looked uneasy, though not like he had talking to her. He looked scared.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded immediately, her own fear rising up again to take her. The boy just shook his head slightly, still staring intently off to the side, watching very carefully for something. Or was he listening? His ear twitched slightly, and she didn’t see anything, so that must have been it. He was listening to something, but what, she wondered.

She didn’t have to wonder long. A moment later, the thing came out to see her, and she really wished it hadn’t.

It looked like a lizard, except bigger. A lot bigger. It crawled creepily across the ground towards the two children.

“Food,” it stated dumbly. “Children. Eat them!”

Nope. Definitely not a lizard. No lizard she had ever seen could talk, even to say simple things like food, children, eat. Wait. Food? Children? Eat? Was it talking about them?!

Then she knew what it is. It was a demon. And not a nice one like the scared looking boy. A mean one. One that wanted to eat them.

The boy looked at down at her on the ground where she sat, a frightened look in his eyes. For second she wondered if he would run and hope it wasn’t fast enough to follow and that its appetite would be sated by her. The thing was looking at her anyway. It slowly crept toward her.

Until the boy got in its way. He just took two big steps until he was standing firmly between her and the monstrous lizard-looking demon thing. He was defending her. He was protecting her. Well, he was going to try. That thing was awfully big though. For the umpteenth time since she’d realized she was lost, she wished she had her bow with her.

The boy stood in a fighting stance, a foot away from her. She stood immediately, but didn’t move. He hadn’t run and left her, there was no way she was going to just leave him either. 

“Move. Eat girl. Filthy half-breed. Taste terrible. Just kill, no eat,” said the monster.

Then the demon slithered closer, amazingly fast, till it was just a foot from the boy. He flinched slightly as it approached, but he didn’t run. He was breathing fast. He was afraid of the thing. She could relate. Her expression was torn between fear of the demon, and worry for her defender, as well as herself.

“Kill him. Eat her,” the demon instructed itself, as though afraid it’d forget its plan.

Then it struck. The monster lunged at her, trying to knock the little half-demon out of its way. He wouldn’t budge.

The boy struck back at the demon with his own claws, and incredible surprising strength, sending the beast flying into a tree.

The thing squawked loudly as it struck the trunk, and the boy looked heartened, although the fear was far from gone. In a second it was back on him, whipping its head back and forth, its wide jaws open and its fangs clearly exposed, hoping to catch the boy, despite his attempts to dodge.

It worked. The demon’s fangs caught the boy’s midsection, raking across his stomach. He cried out in pain, clutching at the wound, but he didn’t fall. He seemed unwilling to leave the girl behind him unprotected.

Said girl felt a pang of guilt. He protected her, and now he was hurt. She could see the blood spilling on the ground. It was all over his clothes too, which mirrored her own almost exactly. The white kimono he was wearing was covered in it, from the glimpse she got. She was sure it had drenched his hakama as well, but they were too red for her to be able to tell. That thing was going to kill him if she couldn’t do something to help soon. She looked around for anything she could use to help. Wishing a bow and arrow would just fall out of the sky.

Well, she was half right. A bow clattered to the ground in front of her. That was really odd. But she didn’t give a damn at the moment. She grabbed it up and gripped it before realizing that, firstly, her aim sucked as it was and she was still learning, and secondly, that her first point didn’t matter because she had no arrow.

The monster lunged again, its jaws snapping and the bleeding boy, as he barely got out of the way in time. Its next jerk caught his arm with one fang, and she saw more blood hit the ground, though he didn’t cry out.

Screw arrows. Anything would do. Anything to help. She spotted a stick. A very straight stick. That’d work.

She cocked the stick, aimed, and fired. Despite not being a proper arrow, the stick glowed with her priestess powers just like an arrow would, and struck the nasty lizard demon right on the nose.

The thing reared in pain and began shaking its head erratically, no longer aiming for the boy, just trying to loosen the stick that burned so much. It was enough for the half-demon boy. He slashed down his claws, catching the demon at the neck…

And knocking its head clean off.

Eww.

The boy jumped back in surprise, as the body collapsed, twitching, and the head continued to snap weakly. Again, eww.

The poor kid looked at his claws, which were more like long nails, and then at her, fear again in his eyes, as though expecting her to react.

She did.

She threw her arms around him.

Now that was a new one.

“I…killed it,” he said lamely, unable to think of anything to say besides the obvious.

“I know,” she said. “Thank you so much for protecting me. And look you got injured. Does it hurt?”

“It’s ok,” he answered quickly, backing away the second she released her fear induced death grip on him.

That would be a yes.

“Well, come here and let me see. I know a little about medicine. I am a priestess, after all,” she added, puffing her chest proudly. “I can help.”

He didn’t move, just regarded her with timid confusion. Almost like he was afraid of her. Then again, she had just hugged him. Maybe he didn’t like it.

“I’m not going to…hurt you or anything.”

“Feh,” he said, although he did move a little closer, though not within reaching distance.

“And I swear I won’t hug you again. Not if you don’t like it?”

“Feh,” he repeated dismissively, this time coming close enough for her to touch and sitting down in front of her.

Accepting this as permission to treat him as best she could, she undid the ties on his kimono slowly and gently, as he blushed furiously but made no move to stop her.

Seeing the severity of the wounds, she sucked in her breath. She could help with scratches, head aches, maybe a bee sting or too, but nothing like this. Three long gouges marred the pale skin of the boys abdomen, deep and angry looking. She gasped at the sight of the wounds, along with the long cut down his arm, pressing her hand to his stomach injuries gently.

Apparently not gently enough, though. The boy jerked back at her touch, wincing badly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Dumb question, but the boy just shrugged, glancing at the ground near his knee.

“These are bad. I don’t really know enough to help much. We should go back to my village. The head priestess there could really—,”

“NO!” he cut her off, practically shouting, making a grab for his kimono before she snatched it way.

“ALRIGHT, alright, no village, I got it. Well, I can at least clean it up for you, but there isn’t anything to wrap it up with.

“That’s ok. It’s no big deal. Never mind,” he said, making another, lame grab for his kimono, which she hid behind her back.

“What do you mean it’s no big deal? Of course it’s a big deal! You’re bleeding!”

He shrugged again, and she sighed, willing herself not to get angry at the boy who had just saved her life for no reason and nearly died doing it.

“Well, we at least need some water to clean it off. Do you know where we could get some?”

The boy sniffed the air for a moment, which she found rather odd. “That way,” he said, pointing a little to her left.

“Ok, then we should go there. Are you ok to stand?”

He nodded, and made to get up. She reached down to help him before he had a chance to protest, which she got the distinct feeling he was planning to do.

“By the way, what is you name?” she asked, as they started to walk, him refusing to allow her to help.

“Why?” he asked suspiciously, giving her a look that made her really want to sigh. She suppressed it, and used the distraction to snake her arm through his own to help support his weight. He didn’t seem to notice, or else he pretended not to.

“Well, dunderhead, you saved my life and now you’re half naked. Wouldn’t hurt to be a little more familiar, would it?

At her words, he blushed brightly and looked away, making her grin. He was quiet for a minute, and she didn’t think he was going to answer when he finally spoke.

“I’m Inuyasha,” he said.

“Well, hi there, Inuyasha,” she answered brightly.

“Hi,” he replied, and the two fell silent for a couple of minutes.

Eventually, Inuyasha worked up the nerve to speak again. “What’s yours?” he asked.

“What’s my what?” she said confused.

“Your name” he supplied. “What’s your name.”

She giggled. “Oh of course, I didn’t tell you yet. Stupid of me. My name is…”

“THERE YOU ARE!”

Both children jumped at the sound of the scream, and swung around. Two men were running towards them, panting, their faces flushed and hair falling astray from the high ponytails so common among men of the time. As they raced toward her, she felt Inuyasha stiffen by her side.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you, little priestess!” the first man gasped as he reached her and skidded to a halt, the other man nearly crashing into his back comically. “You’re mistress has been so worried for your safety. She was afraid you’d come across a demon and…”

The man froze spotting Inuyasha, and taking in his lack of shirt, the blood they were now both covered in, and, lastly, his ears.

As she watched comprehension dawn on his face, she knew this was not going to be good. She was right.

The still-panting man lunged at them suddenly…and pushed Inuyasha bodily to the ground. He fell on his backside looking confused and afraid.

“Demon, what have you done to her. You dare to touch a priestess, you filthy, worthless little half breed scum. We’ll show you!”  And with that, both men threw themselves at the injured child on the ground.

Utterly disgusted, she stepped in front of him, hand on her non-existent hips, and ‘hmphed’ loudly. Both men skidded to a halt once again to avoid hitting her, and fell on to the ground, one atop the other, at her feet.

“Ouch,” whined the one whom the other had landed.

She ‘hmphed’ again. “Serves you right,” she said angrily, “For trying to hurt the only person who did anything to help me! And for you’re information, he didn’t touch me. He saved me from a demon but it hurt him and I was trying to help before you barged in here and tried to tackle us!”

The men exchanged somewhat sheepish glances as the rose to their respective feet, managing to detangle themselves on the fourth try.

“But, lady, that is a hanyou, a dirt-blooded, useless, waste of air, and you can not be consorting with the likes of him!”

“I’ll consort with whoever I want to!” she insisted, turning her back on her ‘rescuers’ kneeling beside Inuyasha, her real savior, who was fixing her with a surprised and appraising gaze that made her blush. “Are you okay?” she asked him, the concerning flooding back into her voice in an instant.

If he answered she never heard it, as she was grabbed from behind by the village men and they began to half drag, half carry her back home.

“Sorry, lady, but we can’t let you waste your time on something like it over there.”

She turned to see Inuyasha hang his head at that comment, looking in no way about to defend his own honor.

“HE’S NOT AN IT, HE’S INUYASHA. AND YOU LET GO OF ME THIS MINUTE OR I SWEAR I’LL SCREAM!” she screamed, determined to show that the threat would ring true.

‘Sorry, Lady,” one answered, and it became clear that they would not be letting her go anytime soon. Instead, she turned her attention back to the little boy on the ground who was getting smaller and smaller as they dragged her away.

He was watching her sadly from his position on the ground, looking very much like he would like to cry but refusing to let her see him at it. He could wait a few minutes until she was out of sight.

“KAGOME,” she called back to him, and he raised his head completely. “MY NAME IS KAGOME. SEE YOU LATER, INUYASHA!” She waved at him best she could. He raised a hand and waved it back once.

“Goodbye, Kagome,” he said under his breath, watching the closest thing he’d had to a friend in his entire ten year long life fade into the distance, kicking and smacking at her captors, but shooting him smiles whenever he caught her eye. Sadly, he leaned against the closest tree, no longer strong enough to pull himself to his feet, and allowed sleep to claim him, knowing he’d hurt less when he finally woke up, provided he wasn’t eaten by some more demons. It wasn’t important enough to him to think about. As Inuyasha drifted into unconscious, only one thought stayed in his mind. Kagome. He was asleep before the screaming began.

Not to far away, a ten year old priestess-in-training was pissed as hell for being pulled away from her injured rescuer. Not to mention being dragged about like a sack of potatoes. And she was letting her captors know about it in the promised fashion, which had the added bonus of being the most annoying thing she could think to do. Screaming at the top of her lungs, as high pitched as she could go, mostly just to make noise, but occasionally including a curse word or two when they came to her. By the time she reached the village, and Kaede, her trainer and a much older priestess saw her, she was unbelievably hoarse. Still she managed to relay the story of her adventures to her kindly teacher, complete with a reenactment, in which she played all three parts, and an awful lot of jumping around before she was given dinner and sent to bed to rest.

As she fell asleep, the only thought in her mind was her rescuer, her hero, Inuyasha.

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