InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Crest ❯ Growing ( Chapter 2 )

The Crest
Part 3: Growing
An Inuyasha Fanfiction
By: Azurite
azurite_moon@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/azurite _moon

Author's Notes:

(1) A reviewer pointed out to me that youkai directly translated refers to a magical being or spirit that uses energy for evil. I was wondering how true this was, considering Takahashi-sensei seemed to be portraying many youkai as 'good' or simply 'non-evil.' And, according to my University of Monash dictionary, 'youkai' means-- ghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; demon; monster; goblin. It's that third to last definition I was aiming for. Japanese, like English, has many words for the same thing. Likewise, many of the same words/characters can be read differently. There is a difference between translation and transliteration. Take, for example, 'Inuyasha.' You can call him 'Inuyasha' or you can call him 'Dog Demon.' Take your pick. Actually, to be more precise, the characters used to form the word 'yasha,' actually translate to female demon… hmmm… go figure. ^.~

(2) As I ranted about in my last two chapters, I don't take flames. They are signed, stamped, sealed, and delivered "returned to sender." So be nice or say nothing. ^^;;

(3) Also, I do not own Inuyasha. Keh. Feh. Or whatever. ^^

(4) Anyone who has read Ookami's "Turnabout is Fair Play" (and by anyone, I mean everyone) is either wondering how in the heck my fic could have been inspired by it… so in answer to that… *grin* You'll see. It'll probably diverge so far off Ookami's tangent you won't even see it coming, but when you do get it, I think you'll laugh.

Request:

I am looking to make a collection of sorts-quotes from bishounen and bishoujo alike. I originally got quotes from actual animes and mangas that said what a certain character thought of a certain subject. For example, Ranma Saotome on Sex would be: "Uh… doesn't it like mess up your training, or something?" [From the Ranma ½ OAV Series - ep. "The Two Akanes! Ranma, Look At Me!"] But now, I have collected funny quotes from signatures, fanfictions (^^; I'm kinda ashamed to admit it because it makes me look an uber-otaku, and certainly a fangirl/stalker, but most of them are from "Turnabout is Fair Play," and more than one is from LilFoxGirl's "You Make Me Retch." ^^;;; Anyway, I'm looking to collect more quotes of this same kind-

1) Signature quotes - funny, uplifting, inspiring, or just plain weird quotes from signature files.

2) Bishies On… - quotes from your favorite bishoujo/bishounen on a subject of their choice-only a few lines to a paragraph at the most; as many topics as you wish… but the quoted material must be canon (i.e. from actual anime or manga, and please specify the episiode/manga # / act # in question).

3) Fanfic Quotes - something that you read in a fanfic that was absolutely funny, incredibly angsty, or totally romantic. Be sure to quote the name of the fic, the author, and what chapter (if applicable) the quote can be found in.

Domo arigatou, minna-sama!

Vocabulary:

I'm fairly sure I only use the most common terms, and considering the only 'dub' of Inuyasha that is out is the Viz Manga, well… here are some words:

hanyou - half-demon. Literally, a contraction of the word hanyoukai, with han meaning 'half' and youkai meaning 'demon'. Normally refers to any demon whose parentage is mixed between that of a full demon (a youkai) and a human.
miko - priestess. Normally refers to a woman of the cloth (similar to a nun, but with more power) from the Shinto religion, like Kikyou, Kaede, etc. Shinto no miko are supposed to be able to detect unnatural energy (such as that of youkai) and purify them with their powers.
taijiya - exterminator. Literally taiji is 'to exterminate' and ya implies a store or person who performs the action. Essentially, this means that a taijiya is an exterminator. Usually refers to the exterminators of demons, though certain kinds of demon exterminators are not exactly taijiya. For example, Miroku… he's a Buddhist priest who expels demons… not exterminates them.
houshi - Buddhist priest: like Miroku. At the time when Inuyasha takes place, Buddhism wasn't too common-but it was spreading, from where it originated in India to China, and then to Japan. Miroku is no doubt one of the people spreading the word about Buddhism, which emphasizes non-material possessions (explains why, aside from greed, Miroku always sells whatever he "steals" from the houses that he expels evil spirits from) and a life away from wealth.
-sama, -chan, -dono, -san - Respectively, varying suffixes that one attaches to someone's name (usually the family name, or last name) to add respect. To not add a suffix implies (depending on the people) disrespect, or a very close relationship. Even brothers and sisters refer to each other with -san or -chan attached to their name. In Inuyasha, since it's 500 years before Kagome's time, many suffixes aren't in use, such as -san. That is why Kagome and Miroku respectively refer to each other as (insert name here)-sama. -Sama is a suffix that implies great respect to a person of power, which can include religious figures, monarchs, or government officials. -Chan, on the other hand, implies affection -either between friends or lovers. -Dono is a very old suffix, used in the same way -san is-it is interchangeable between girls and boys, and is usually used towards someone older than the speaker. It implies respect, or a lower position.
hakama, haori - The first word is the bottom portion of a kimono robe, like what Inuyasha wears. It is also the same kind of pleated pants-dress that mikos (such as Kikyou and later, Kaede) wear. Haoris are the inner robe (usually white) that are worn underneath the overcoat.

Recap:

Kikyou is a teenage miko-to-be with an opportunity like no other in her village-the chance to witness the fate of a hanyou orphan taking refuge in the house of two newlyweds in the village, youkai sympathizers by the name of Fujia and Nazuna Hino. Radicals in the village, who believe that all youkai should be exterminated, regardless of any human blood in them, press charges against the family, and since Kikyou's father, as the Magistrate of the village, is to decide the fate of the boy in a ceremony known as the Determination, Kikyou is also present. However, Kikyou doesn't expect her father to ask her opinion-and when she does suggest something, it may be for better or for worse! The hanyou Inuyasha is now placed in her family's care, as the neutral party. Inuyasha, now under the control of a mystical rosary, can choose to fight or surrender to Kikyou… What's more, Kikyou's decision was looked on as rather unprecedented, and the Council of Elders commends her for it-or rather, one particular member does… a Cousin "Naraku…"

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"You made quite an impression on the Council, today, Kikyou-chan." A voice commented. Kikyou whirled around, the frustration --that had built up after her brief confrontation with the dog hanyou whom she'd saved from the wrath of a family of radical taijiya-simply vanishing.

"Cousin Naraku!" The young man smiled jubilantly and embraced the young girl, pulling her tight into his embrace. Kikyou tried to ignore the sheer pressure of his fingers on her back, and soon found a way to smile through her grit teeth as she pulled away.

"You have not been in the village for so long. What is the reason for this joyous occasion?" Kikyou smiled. The two of them began walking towards the largest house in the village-the House of the Magistrate, Kikyou's father and the highest presiding member of the Council of Elders. He was not the oldest man in the village, but he had the most power, being a priest of the Old Religion, and adhering to the ways of the Tradition as firmly as one could.

"I was asked to return to serve on the Council of Elders," Naraku smiled, white teeth glistening in the daylight. Kikyou shivered, if briefly, at his smile, and turned away. She quickly disguised the sudden frown that had crossed her face; it was a strange, cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, and why such a feeling would come from contact with her old cousin… well, it was beyond her.

"Would you be staying at our house then?" Kikyou asked, reaching the doorway of her home. She'd been out all day since dawn to begin with; if Naraku had appeared in mid-morning, then it was entirely plausible that a room had already been laid up for him in the upper floors.

"Unfortunately no, my dearest," Naraku smiled, raising Kikyou's hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles, "I am to be staying at Tsubaki-sama's house. It seems I will be taking his place on the Council."

Kikyou, who had been cringing ever so slightly at the sensation of her cousin's lips on her skin, stared, wide-eyed at him now. The young man, fair of face, with enough wind-waved dark hair to rival Kikyou's, cocked his head in curiosity.

"What ails, you, Cousin?"

"…Tsubaki-sama has been on the Council since… since before I was born… he… he never told me that he would be leaving us…" In her shock, Kikyou stared, confused, at the doorstep of her house, entirely missing Naraku's scowl.

"…It seems rather sudden, but the man is getting old… he would be of further use to his family, don't you think?" Naraku smiled, a dark and chilling smile that Kikyou dared not to understand. This was all too much… Tsubaki had been on the Council for so long… giving advice to Kikyou's father as one would to a son. Long ago, Tsubaki himself had been the Magistrate, but had long since retired from that position, instead taking the place of a revered elder on the Council. So long had he been serving there that Kikyou had never thought her teacher would step from the stage, and into the shadows. Only last morning they'd had lessons…

"…I suppose… but then, who would teach me in the Ways of the Old Religion?" Kikyou stared up at her cousin, her eyes watering. She knew emotion was frowned upon, especially in a miko-to-be such as herself… but to hear that the man who was almost as close to her as her Grandfather… who taught her how to channel her energy and tap into the Spirits… how could he simply drop himself from that place?

'I have no right to judge… Cousin Naraku is doubtless correct… Tsubaki-sama is old… perhaps even sick…!' The thought terrified Kikyou, and she suddenly realized how out-of-control her emotions had been as of late. What was wrong with her…?

"…Perhaps I will take over as your sensei, ne?" Naraku laughed as they parted ways, leaving Kikyou staring at the back of her cousin in confusion and… fear. Something was terribly wrong.

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Inuyasha paced between the platforms and the line of chairs that had, only five minutes previous, been occupied by a group of stodgy old men, calling themselves the Council of Elders. Bah. Preposterous. That a group of humans -who barely knew him-could judge him, and determine his fate…

Yet… it seemed as though that girl -who had dared to try and reach his soul-dared to try and find out what was boiling in the depths of his heart, had saved him. Thoughtlessly. It was strange. Inuyasha had long since given up the idea that there was a person -a human- who could truly be kind. No human alive was unafraid of youkai or hanyous in some respect… and even the Hinos, a newlywed couple just beginning to test their beliefs and break away from the mold of the old world, held some fear.

A deep part of Inuyasha whispered that when Nazuna had cried earlier, it had not been for his sake-for the fact that he'd been restrained by other humans, his fate to be determined in a publicly humiliating session, all because of some radical taijiya that feared him more than they respected him. But why should they-the power Inuyasha wielded from his youkai blood was more than the taijiya ever could possess… and they were jealous. Such jealousy fueled anger, and anger blossomed into hate…

Humans were so complicated, Inuyasha grouched to himself. So silly. He anxiously tugged at the rosary around his neck, wondering what sort of hidden power the miko-child had bestowed upon it that so pleased the taijiya and the Hinos.

"Inuyasha…" Nazuna whispered, her husband's arm lending a comforting support to her shoulders, "I am so sorry… we never would have thought…" Her sentence trailed off. Never would have thought that they would have been discovered, harboring an orphan hanyou boy. In a village of taijiya radicals and Old Religion Traditionalists, at that…

"It is good that Kikyou-sama was allowed a voice in this Determination," Fujia murmured finally, a grim expression on his face.

"How so?" Inuyasha practically growled, struggling with the beads once more, "That wench has literally wrung a leash around my neck!"

To his surprise, Nazuna let out a slight giggle.

"What in the seven he-"
"Inuyasha!" Nazuna's face immediately became serious once more, correcting the young hanyou on his improper language. For the two weeks he'd stayed with them, Nazuna had been nothing but kind and helpful to him, though he found some of her human habits -such as this one-quite irritating.

"It could have been much worse without Kikyou-sama intervening as she did. I was surprised that the Magistrate even asked her opinion, but I suppose it because she grows in her power, and will soon take over as Miko."

"A damned priestess…!" Inuyasha seethed. He had no mind to be taught the ways of some hokey human religion, Old or Traditional, or whatever… or not. He'd been fine on his own, and if he hadn't been so… so damned foolhardy and cocky, he wouldn't have gotten attacked by that strange youkai in the forest… wouldn't have been found by the Hinos…

"It isn't so bad, Inuyasha, really. She's your age, and seemed to be quite understanding of your situation…"

"'My situation?' She's a damned… a damned wench and a miko, no less!" Inuyasha sighed, not liking the saddened expression that became his surrogate mother's face. He was trying so hard to place the blame on someone other than himself, and such actions were only upsetting his caretakers more. Or rather, his former caretakers. The wench had ensured that he wouldn't be staying with them any longer, and for some reason, the thought of not seeing Nazuna's face, delighted as she found her home cleaned every day, fresh water in the buckets, troubled Inuyasha.

He sighed grumpily. "I suppose… I suppose I could get used to it. There would be no point in running away now, would there?" Inuyasha knew, just as well as the Hinos, that he could try to-at this very moment. He didn't exactly know how rosaries worked, but he was sure that the spell that was on the beads was not as strong was it could be. If he ran, it was doubtless anyone -even those idiotic taijiya-could catch up to him.

Yet it would feel like betrayal. The miko-girl had said "I saw emotion in your eyes. You aren't as unfeeling as you make yourself out to be." Could it be true? Perhaps it was impossible to find that one human -so much like his mother-that would be accepting and unafraid of him… so instead, that human was forming inside him. The idea wasn't as repulsive as Inuyasha would have expected.

"No, Inuyasha!" Nazuna smiled, delighted at her surrogate son's change of heart. He was a strapping young lad, with so much life left in him, yet when he'd been found out and taken away, placed in confinement in the Magistrate's home earlier that day, he'd seemed so despairing…

"Nothing would be stopping you from seeing us everyday, I'm sure…" Fujia put in, grinning. Inuyasha managed a faint smile. Perhaps… perhaps he could get used to this life. If Fujia and Nazuna accepted him, then maybe that Miko girl would as well.

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Naraku ran his fingers across the volumes of old and sacred book in the old man's library. Everything he had told Kikyou only moments before had been true-that indeed, he'd been called to take the place of Tsubaki on the Council of Elders. He was no older than 17 himself, and certainly not worldly enough to be considered an Elder… but none of that mattered.

Surely, the Oracle could not be wrong.

Indeed, the Oracle had called to Naraku, whispered delicious thoughts of power and strength into his yearning mind. Naraku, who had no real family to speak of, save the young cousin named Kikyou and her tired old father, smiled.

"Naraku!" A harsh, aged voice interrupted the young man's search, and he wheeled around immediately, dark robes rumpling as he spun. Naraku turned to face Tsubaki, the old man leaning on a withered old cane, and smiled maliciously.

"Tsubaki-sama… what a surprise." Naraku murmured, his voice coated in sweet sarcasm. The old man took an unsteady step backwards as his wrinkled, dark eyes met Naraku's. The boy was not to be trusted, and as the oldest member of the Council, he knew that better than anyone. When Naraku had first appeared in the village, Tsubaki had known it was of no good…

"What are you doing in the Sacred Libraries? This place is off limits-especially to you!"
"Why, Elder, I am shocked… you would refrain your own protégé from reading the texts which are to become his?"

"You're a damned fool, Naraku, if you think you're going to be removing me from my office anytime soon." Tsubaki hissed, a slight smile creeping up the corners of his withered old mouth.

With speed inhuman, Naraku shoved the old man up against the wall, both of them clearly struggling. With a strange sort of strength that didn't belong in a person of his age, Tsubaki shoved the younger boy off his neck, stumbling backwards a bit and catching his breath.

"You will never get what you want, Naraku. I will see to it." And with those words, Tsubaki left the room. He no longer seemed afraid that Naraku was in the library… for whatever Naraku was searching for, it was obviously beyond his reach.

"…And it shall be the death of you…" Naraku whispered solemnly, his eyes alighting with a strange, sourceless light.

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When Inuyasha was finally escorted to the Magistrate's house by the Hinos, it was near sunset. Though the Determination had been in the early afternoon, Inuyasha had helped the Nazuna's clean up the room they'd set aside for him. Though he hadn't had many belongings to call his own, he had been given a better fitting -and still bright red-kimono from Fujia, and allowed to sleep on a futon. It hadn't been the most comfortable, but far more than Inuyasha had been privileged to receive in the past several years.

"It won't be the same without you here, Inuyasha." Nazuna smiled sadly, wiping her eyes.

Rather embarassed as he did so, Inuyasha drew the human woman into his embrace. Her arms wrapped immediately around the hanyou, holding him tighter and stronger than Inuyasha thought possible for a human woman of her stature.

"Keh. You two weren't expecting to find me, anyway, so now you have one less mouth to feed."

Fujia and Nazuna looked at Inuyasha with raised eyebrows, almost leaning forward on their feet, wondering if they would hear the cocksure hanyou boy actually say 'Thank you.'

"Besides, didn't you two say you wanted to try and have a… a whelp?" Inuyasha fumbled for the proper word, having never been around humans in such a society before. Fujia began chuckling, while Nazuna stared, her face blank.

"Baby, Nazu-chan! He means baby!" At this explanation from her husband, Nazuna started to laugh too, while poor Inuyasha stood, blushing. He'd never understand humans. Far too complex.

"We hope so, Inuyasha. And when we do… we would be honored if you would be our child's brother."

At this unexpected request, Inuyasha stumbled. A brother…? Him? Sure, he had an older brother, but Inuyasha hadn't seen, let alone heard from him in so long… the half-brother born of Inuyasha's father and another demon, by the name of Sesshomaru had run away from home when Inuyasha was but a pup himself… he couldn't even remember his face.

"…I…"

"When we do, Inuyasha. You will have time to consider." The two shifted, indicating their need to return home soon.

"I…" Inuyasha began, staring at his bare feet. With such crude and rough toenails, he looked out of place on the stone walkway. While Fujia and Nazuna both wore sandals and drab colored kimonos, Inuyasha stood out like a flame in the wood.

"Thank you." He said gruffly, attempting to turn away. He stole one last glance at Nazuna and Fujia, who drew Inuyasha into an unexpected hug. For just a moment, Inuyasha held them back, withholding his full strength, for fear he might actually hurt his former caretakers.

"Good luck, Inuyasha. Be well." The Hinos turned and didn't look back, as Inuyasha stood, staring after them, from the Magistrate's walkway. He was unaware that he was being watched himself, from a window high above him-violet eyes set in a young woman's face widening in surprise.

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"Ah, Inuyasha." The man clad in simple, yet finer clothes than the Hinos, greeted Inuyasha as he practically threw open the door to the Magistrate's house. Inuyasha scowled a bit; the one thing the Hinos had taught him was how humans referred to each other with respectful suffixes at the end of their names.

'I suppose I'm not deserving enough of one, then.' Inuyasha grumbled to himself.

"Kikyou-sama has requested that you be suitably presented to her… so we will bring you to the bathing room-"

"Are you saying I'm not clean enough as I am to be presented to her worshipfulness?" Inuyasha sneered, leaning a bit close to the servant. The man leaned back, his nose upturned in something resembling disgust. Inuyasha masked the growl threatening to crawl up his throat, and relaxed onto the balls of his feet.

"…I-If you please… Inuyasha-dono…" The servant stuttered, turning to a room with large bamboo screens in front of it. Small trails of steam came from the room, indicating that it was the bathing room that the man spoke of. Inuyasha wasn't entirely pleased with the prospect of bathing in a strange house; it had been uncomfortable enough bathing with Fujia his second night with them. He'd gotten used to it of course, and then bathed on his own. He had for years, just never in a human household, and certainly not in hot water. Rivers and springs had always been suitable for the hanyou on the run… and if his scent didn't irritate his highly sensitive nose, than it shouldn't bother any humans.

Inuyasha made a sound similar to that of a grunt, and moved towards the room. As soon as he entered, however, the servant simply closed the blinds and walked away-as if expecting Inuyasha to know what to do.

Upon first entering the house, Inuyasha had to contain a fair amount of anger-the Hinos had been such kind people to him, but had to struggle in the fields every day and return to a small, cold home. Made of mortar and straw paste, and hardly as fanciful as this place-with a steaming hot tub of water big enough for eight people, bubbling merrily in the center of the room.

Inuyasha snorted as he undressed, kicking his hakama to the side, and then shimmying out of his haori. He felt more than a mite uncomfortable, strangely enough, in a human household, bathing because some idiotic human girl wanted him to be 'presentable.' He snorted once more, sliding into the water.

His nose immediately reacted to the sudden onslaught of perfumes that filled the water, but he soon got used to it, however itchy his nose felt. He paddled his way through the rub, allowing his stiff muscles to relax. He'd done a lot of work for the Hinos in his stay with them, mostly lifting heavy objects and the like. The work hadn't bothered him at the time, but now it seemed, without regular 'practice,' the pain was catching up to him.

Unlike in the rivers, when he was forced to use pine needle branches as sponges, this place was well-equipped-the water was being heated by a decent-sized flame underneath the tub, keeping the water constantly warm, though not boiling; there were various sized cloths and sponges lining the walls, and a myriad of bottled liquids -which, upon further inspection, turned out to be strange scented gels.

Inuyasha dared to test some of them out, pleasantly surprised to find a musk-scented one among the mixture. He rubbed the stuff over his skin and watched it bubble in the water. He had a vague idea that he should have used the stuff before he'd come into the tub, but it didn't matter. It wasn't as if he'd wanted to take a stupid bath for a stupid girl anyway…

Yet… what was the harm in enjoying it while he was here?

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"What is taking that blasted hanyou so long, Shouchi?" Kikyou demanded. She was pacing about the Reception Chambers with an almost nervous twitch to her arms, which she held intertwined behind her back. With every step, her broad hakama threatened to trip her, as she no longer wore the elevating geta sandals that she wore outside of the house.

"M-Mistress Ki-Kikyou-sama… he… I do... I do not know how he could be taking so long in the bathing room… when I spoke with the Hinos, they gave me the impression that he was at least somewhat cultured…"

"And what defines 'cultured' in this house?" A sarcastic voice came from the doorway. There, leaning against the doorframe as if he'd been there all along, was Inuyasha, a smirk becoming his fanged smile.

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The evening had passed without too much incident-other than Inuyasha and Kikyou getting into a heated argument. Inuyasha realized later on, somewhat gratefully, that the priestess, even while inflamed in her anger, had forgotten to enchant the rosary he still wore about his neck.

"I'll be damned if I let that bitch subdue me…" Inuyasha muttered, turning over on his futon. One thing he could be pleased about though, was that he wasn't being treated like trash in this household. Of course, the next day had yet to come…

Inuyasha eventually fell into a troubled sleep that night, his white hair pooling over the pillow that had been supplied for him, and onto the floor.

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The next day, or rather, the next morning, Inuyasha was unceremoniously awoken by a sharp kick to his side. Angrily, he got opened his eyes and growled, half expecting to find himself out in the forest, some pathetic kitsune at his side.

Rather, he was tangled amongst a series of human blankets and sheets, rather warm, and was being kicked by a young miko with an angry expression on her face. From what Inuyasha could make out, it was barely past daylight, as a simple gray haze filtered through the windows on the side of the room.

"What do you want, wench?" Inuyasha grumbled, tossing onto his side. For that remark, he received an even sharper jab to his side, prompting him to shoot bolt-upright and growl -loudly- at Kikyou, between curled lips.

"So the dog does have fangs," Kikyou smirked with a laugh, "Does he know how to perform tricks, as well?"
"Why you-"
"Say it, and that rosary around your neck will be that much more powerful when I enchant it."
Inuyasha quickly fell silent, his growl quieting to a soft snarl.
"Do not think I have forgotten; in the ways of my Tradition, I refuse to let my emotions govern me, and so I didn't think it fitting for your… restraint to be placed last night, when I was in rage. You probably would be dead if I had."
"You're awfully full of yourself, aren't you, wench?"
"Call me that one more time, and I assure you, you will know just how 'full of myself' I am."

Inuyasha smirked, but said nothing.

"I am leaving for my morning training. Father has made it a point to suggest that we are to go together… however, should you interrupt my session in any way, or dare to run-"
"You don't need to tell me twice, Kikyou-sama." Inuyasha grouched. Kikyou stopped, smiled faintly, and went downstairs without another word.

Inuyasha kicked the sheets off his legs, and whispered softly to himself: "She smells nice."

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Inuyasha trudged up the hill on the outskirts of the village, a sizable distance behind Kikyou. The thoughts in his mind from the previous night-that he could simply put on a burst of speed and run-still haunted him. Yet Kikyou seemed to be having a very strange effect on him.

Perhaps it had been something in those salves and gels yesterday in the bathing room. Surely, that had to be it… no human girl could be affecting him in this way…

Inuyasha snorted to himself, unaware that Kikyou stole a glance back at him, her eyebrows raised in wonderment. He seemed human enough, but with the mannerisms of a dog. He'd fascinated her when she'd first seen him, and now… now… he was still an interesting specimen. Had anyone told her far in advance that she was to become the caretaker of a dog hanyou boy, she would have scoffed and said the hanyou would never accept subjugation-and by a miko girl, no less.

Inuyasha stared at his bare feet as they crushed the soft, moist grass on the hill, startled when he bumped into Kikyou.

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha growled, expecting an explanation for why Kikyou had simply stopped. She didn't answer at first, and Inuyasha came from behind her, noting that her face was awfully pale. Her violet eyes were fixated on a person in the distance, near the edge of the forest.

Whoever she'd been here to meet for her morning training, it certainly wasn't him.

'No… Naraku had to have been lying… Tsubaki… you couldn't possibly have let Naraku take over my training… have you?'

Kikyou took several small steps forward, her feet wobbling quite plainly. Inuyasha didn't know the man she was approaching, and Kikyou made no attempt to enlighten the hanyou towards her situation, yet she seemed aware, on some level, that Inuyasha sensed her reluctance in moving forward.

"Cousin Naraku… Good morning to you." Kikyou said in a purposefully slow voice. When the young man turned to face the miko-to-be, his eyes narrowed. The hanyou was with her.

The unpleasant expression donning the young Councilman's face quickly faded, but Inuyasha had caught it-and what's more, had sensed the youki around him. He made a soft snarl, loud enough only for Kikyou to hear.

She turned to him in surprise, a reprimand forming on her lips.

"Inuyasha, this is my cousin Naraku. Treat him with the same respect you would me… and then some." Kikyou said. Inuyasha only nodded, distancing himself from the man and Kikyou. He plopped himself down on the hill overlooking the village, and the fields in the distance. His knuckles holding him upright, he watched as Naraku placed a target on a distant tree, and handed Kikyou a bow and arrow.

"Tsubaki-sama informed me that you were almost ready to begin your spiritual training in the art of the Bow."
"Y-Yes. I have been looking forward to it for sometime now." Kikyou admitted, a shy blush on her cheek. Tsubaki-sama was more rough with Kikyou's desires than Naraku was; Kikyou had to be serious and firm at all times with Tsubaki, while Naraku seemed to have no trouble embarrassing her…

"Good. Try to hit the target."
"T-That target… so far away?" Kikyou stuttered, her eyes widening in surprise. Inuyasha glanced at her and her 'Cousin' through his peripheral vision; indeed, the target was far away-too far away for any human archer to shoot. Feh. It'd be fun seeing the miko prove how full of herself she was, rather than how much she wasn't.

"Just try." Naraku said in a demanding voice. Regaining her composure, Kikyou held the bow and arrow, fumbling with the placement of her fingers after a moment. She went through a brief and silent meditation to relax her senses, and to put the world around her out of existence. Gone was the irritating energy of Inuyasha, and the strange cold she felt breezing about Naraku. Ignorant of it all, Kikyou strung back the arrow, pulling the shaft back tightly in her hand…

And let it fly. Her eyes still closed, she didn't see the arrow spark and burst into flame with a gleaming purple light, hitting the target in the distance right on the bull's-eye… exploding the tree's center with a hiss.

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End of Part 3: Growing.

I really planned on this having more to it than it did… I wanted to plan out specific dialogue chain-of-events, and cliffhangers… and it sort of worked out how I wanted it to, but not totally. ^^ Does anyone like, still? ^^;; Maybe it's silly of me, but I'm hoping that by the time I get up to chapter 5, I can have at least 100 reviews… it'd be a first for me… ^^;;;

I have all the chapters 4-11 plotted out already, and then some. So while I may not update on a daily basis, like some incredible writers, I will try to update at least twice a week. ^^ So please, review, let me know what you think… and of course, VISIT MY WEBSITE!

http://www.geocities.com/azurite_moon

^^;; The Inuyasha section needs a new layout… is there anyplace that makes IY web gear?

~Azurite