When Inuyasha was young he owned a ball. It was his. It was nothing special at all actually, just a tan ball with a rougher piece of leather to hold the ball together. Sometimes he liked to run his developing claws over that imperfect piece of leather on the ball, liking the way it felt while he thought.

Inuyasha never let anyone play with his ball – not that anyone would play ball with him in the first place. He was born in a human village not far from the Lord of the West's castle. Inuyasha never saw the castle for himself, but his mother told him of the castle as if she roamed the halls herself. Inuyasha never over thought that though, his mother would never be allowed on the property of the Lords awesome domain. But because he was clueless to his relations to this Lord – his father – he never knew why the children made fun of him for having a snow white pair of dog ears atop his head. He noticed the other human children didn't have the same demonic features as him, but his little mind didn't think much of it. He had his mother after all – that's all he really wanted.

But then she was gone.

He was not very old at the time, and his demon teeth were just growing in. His mother hugged him one day and drew him into their small hut. The ball fell from his hands as he walked away.

~*~*~

The stupid old lady at the village said his mother wasn’t coming back. Inuaysha didn't believe her... she was a crazy old bat, but it left doubt in his mind. Just a small place. Just a single, tiny, miniscule thought.

But... his mother had been gone for a long time...

~*~*~

Inuyasha found his ball again another year later. He looked 7 in human terms, but he was actually the age of 14.

The new children were playing with the ball – completely oblivious to it's original origins. Inuyasha felt a burning hate come over them as he saw the ball being passed from one child's hands to another. It was his ball. He wanted to take it from them. It was his in the first place.

But that girl looked happy, running her finger over the leather.

~*~*~

One day Inuyasha stood in the old bat's hut. It was bigger than his mother's and his, with all sorts of shelves holding unusual things. Inuyasha thought he saw an elf ear.

Ugh.

He was covered in dirt. He'd wanted to pull a turnip from the ground as a present for his mother when she returned. Things were stirring up in the west – she was sure to return. His mother never did have a big backbone for violent things.

“-er. Ye' should not even have been near there you disgusting half demon. Your stench is sure to kill the crops!...

Yeah, she was a miko. Very temperamental too. And old.

She had a successor now.

~*~*~

The girl was a miko.

She didn't insult him when he bumped into her while running from the bullies.

Her name was Kikyo.

~*~*~

He gave Kikyo a flower today. Her blush was very pretty.

The old bat glared at him in hate from the safety from her hut.

~*~*~

Inuyasha had hit the bully back today. He was in his face insulting his ears. He took pride in his ears. Kikyo liked his ears, she said they were soft.

The boy had a long gash on his face from where Inuyasha's claws had slashed him.

Kikyo ignored him for two weeks.

~*~*~

Kikyo was depressed and he didn't know how to cheer her up. The old bat – no, Gaya – had died in the night. Kikyo was the village miko now.

~*~*~

Kaede. A little girl who stumbled into the village half starved. Inuyasha watched as she took the attention of Kikyo from him with jealousy. Kikyo healed her and gave her new clothes. She told her not to fear Inuyasha.

The girl still avoided him.

~*~*~

Inuyasha was now 16, but technically 23. Kikyo was 16 too. Inuyasha took her on a boat ride. She liked it.

~*~*~

Inuyasha was going to propose to her. Kikyo.

He was walking back from his pep talk outside the village when he was hit in the head. Everything went black.

~*~*~

He woke up to blinding pain and confusion. Kikyo was yelling something at him, Kaede close behind with tears streaming down her face.

Inuyasha noticed he was in the air – Kikyo was shooting an arrow at him!

Inuyasha was hit. His chest leaked red blood running down the shaft of the arrow. He gasped, and watched as a necklace with a large amount of power flew from his fingers.

“K...ikyo.” Inuyasha felt his vision blur. Kikyo turned her back to him.

~*~*~

He dreamed of being a child again. His fingers were running over the rough strip of leather as confusion set in.

He heard his mother call him with open arms. He banished every thought as he threw down his ball and raced towards his faceless mother.

The balled rolled away.