InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Hope ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

Kagome Higurashi considered herself to be a normal girl. And she was as normal as someone in her position could be. The fact of the matter was she wasn't normal. She was so far from normal she might as well be another species. And when she got older, she did at times wish she was another species. At least then people wouldn't scorn her for making friends that weren't human. That was the problem with her world. Humans and youkai alike believed the two species should never crossbreed. It wasn't a law, no one would write their prejudices in stone, at least no one with any real power, but it was still the way of the world.

For all the prejudices, human and youkai lived together in peace, well; there were no full out wars. Society tolerated both species. Each had their own social caste until Naraku appeared. After the wars against Naraku commenced, youkai and humans worked together. Each species still had their separate homes, stores and schools, but the tolerance was mutual. Humans shopped and lived separately and youkai shopped and lived separately. There wasn't a law that youkai had to go to a youkai school and humans had to go to a human school, it was just the way things were.

Kagome Higurashi was scorned because her best friend was a hanyou. And hanyous, by popular belief, shouldn't be allowed to walk the earth. Inuyasha was an Inuhanyou, and probably the only reason he was still alive was that his father and mother were among the most important individuals in each of their races. Inuyasha's father was an Inuyoukai, King of his Domain. He had the title of Demon Lord of the Western Lands and was the most powerful and respected Taiyoukai in existence. Inuyasha's mother was a human hime, the daughter of the High Queen and General Masahiro, the highest military ranked human on the planet.

Inuyasha's combined heritage gave him more titles and riches than the hanyou knew what to do with or was even aware of. The fact that his human grandmother was the High Queen gave people as reason to fear him. After all, the High Queen was the most powerful human in existence. She had developed her miko powers to such a degree that it gave her a suspended life. So instead of living six or seven decades, she lived six or seven centuries.

Inuyasha's mother was just as powerful as his grandmother, but she had given up he title of heir of The High Queen in favor of living out her days with her family.

Inuyasha was Kagome's first friend, and Kagome was his.

Any outsider would be amazed that Kagome and Inuyasha had ever crossed paths. And the reason it was so unbelievable was because just as Inuyasha's parents were rich, Kagome's parents were poor. Kagome's mother and father each came from a third class family. Kagome's mother, Asami, had worked in a bakery from the age of six until she met and married Kagome's father, Yoshi at seventeen. When the war broke out, Kagome's father had joined the Armed Forces. He served as an enlisted solider for five years before a nerve injury forced him into retirement. At the time of injury, Yoshi had been under Lord Inutashio's command. Lord Inutashio was Inuyasha's father.

The great Taiyoukai believed himself at fault for the injury, so after Yoshi retired, he and Asami were moved to a nice cottage in a forest not far from town. Lord Inutashio owned the land there, and had even set up a Hot Spring resort next to the cottage so the family would have a way of income. All of it happened to be a mere half-mile from Lord Inutashio's own home.

Kagome was born soon after Yoshi and his wife moved into the cottage. When Kagome turned four, she had been allowed to play outside by herself without supervision. The forest wasn't a dangerous place to play, and so her parents had little to worry about.

"Mama, I'm going to go play," a four year old Kagome yelled as she ran out of her cottage home.

"Don't go far Kagome!" her mother called out.

In the back round Kagome could hear her father telling her mother the customers needed more towels. Kagome was glad her parents owned a Hot Spring resort. She met so many interesting people.

Running towards the back of the house, Kagome began to walk along a stream that ran along the forest trail. Kagome didn't realize she was wandering so far from the house. When she tired of following the river, she crossed the water and started deeper into the forest, crawling over moss covered boulders.

The boulders were wet and slippery from rainfall the night before, causing the four years old to slip and skin her knees. The little Kagome sniffed back tears and choked back a cry when her throat closed up. It was then she realized just how far she had gone from her home and how lost she really was. Kagome stood up and started walking again.

She knew she hadn't gone the right way when she stumbled upon a meadow in the middle of the woods. She would have turned around and headed back if the tree in the middle of the meadow hadn't been so large and enticing. Kagome's four years old mind couldn't find a reason not to check it out. When she reached the trunk, she realized it was larger than she had originally thought. Looking up, she spotted something red sitting up in the branches. "Hello?" she called hesitantly.

The nine years old boy looked down through the branches to see what was interrupting his peace and quiet. "What do ya want?" he replied to the strange girl.

"I'm lost. Do you know my way home?" Kagome said, ignoring his rude tone.

Inuyasha sniffed a bit and concluded the girl was indeed lost. He could smell the blood where she had scrapped her knees and her scent held distress and worry. With a shift of his weight, Inuyasha rolled off his branch and landed softly on the ground beside Kagome.

Kagome gave a small shriek when she thought the boy was falling but her face soon shifted from fear to awe. "You aren't hurt?" she asked Inuyasha, circling the boy looking for injuries.

"Hurt? Don't be stupid. I ain't no weak human," he replied stiffly.

"Human?" asked Kagome, confused. It wasn't a word she was familiar with.

"Don't you know what a human is?" replied Inuyasha.

"Ah . . ." was Kagome's reply.

Inuyasha was a full two feet taller than Kagome, his hair down his back. Sighing, he sat down and leaned against the Go-Shimboku. "Do you know what a youkai is?" he asked.

"Ah . . ."

"What about hanyou?"

"Ah . . ."

"Do you at least know your name?"

"Hai! That's an easy one. My name is Higurashi Kagome. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake. "What's your name?"

"Inuyasha," he replied, ignoring her hand. "What are you doing on my father's lands?"

"I live here," replied Kagome.

"Live here?"

"Hai. Not far from here, I think. I don't really know because I'm lost."

"Lost?"

"Hai, lost." Kagome thought for a second. "And hungry."

Inuyasha stood and started walking in the opposite direction Kagome had come. "Are you going to help me?" she yelled at him, not moving from her spot.

"Hai," he called back, not bothering to turn around.

Kagome squealed with joy and ran to catch up with him. "Are you going to take me home?"

"I'm gonna get us something to eat then I'll take you to my father. He'll know where you live."

"Thank you."

"Feh."

Inuyasha led her to a small cave that overlooked most of the forest. Inside as a pile of animal pelts, a table with two chairs, and a mini refrigerator. "That thing actually works out here?" Kagome asked, pointing to the fridge.

"It runs on a generator that's solar powered, whatever that means. My father got it for me."

"Neat!"

"Sit down and I'll find something for your knees."

"Okay."

Inuyasha shifted through a pile of junk before he found what he was looking for. "This is going to sting," he muttered before applying rubbing alcohol to her knees.

Kagome let off a scream and set off across the cave, trying to get out of Inuyasha's reach. Before she knew what hit her, Inuyasha had pinned the little girl down and quickly placed the Band-Aids on her knees.

"I'm done," he shouted, jumping off the girl and rubbing his throbbing ears.

Kagome's screaming soon subsided, leaving her gawking at Inuyasha.

"What?" he shouted angrily.

"Your ears, they're so cute! Can I touch them? Please?!!!" she pleaded.

"No!"

"But-"

"No buts."

Kagome sniffled at his sharp tone and rubbed the water that was starting to pool out of her corner of her eye. "Oi, you're not crying, are ya?" asked Inuyasha uncertainly.

"Of course not," Kagome replied, burying her face in her hands.

"Stop crying."

"I'm not crying."

"Here, you can touch my ears." Inuyasha sat down and bent his head toward her.

Kagome immediately stopped sniffling and reached out a hand to touch Inuyasha's dog-ears. Gently, she ran her finger along the base of his ear, feeling the soft white fur beneath her fingertip. Growing a bit bolder, Kagome scratched his ear and nearly jumped when Inuyasha started purring. After her initial surprise was gone, Kagome withdrew her hand and giggled.

Inuyasha looked up and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the tears were gone. "Hungry?" he asked after a moment.

"Hai."

^_^

"Have you seen Kagome?" Asami asked her husband. She hadn't seen her daughter since the morning.

"No," he replied, worry interlacing his voice.

"I'm going to go look around back then," she said.

Thirty minutes later and still no sign of Kagome.

"Is something wrong?" asked Lord Inutashio as he approached the house. He came frequently to make sure his friend was getting along well.

"My daughter is missing," replied Yoshi.

"Perhaps I can track her then? Not many humans come through my lands so it wouldn't be difficult," replied the Inuyoukai.

"Thank you," said Yoshi, giving a breath of relief.

Lord Inutashio followed the trail along the river, Yoshi close behind. The sun was dipping into the horizon and Yoshi was anxious to have his daughter back. When the trail ended, Inutashio crossed the river and followed the scent to the Go-Shimboku. There he ran across the scent of his son. "Don't worry, my friend. Your daughter is in good hands," Inutashio assured Yoshi.

"What did you find?"

"My son's scent. Come. I know where they are."

Yoshi followed the Inuyoukai to a cave not far from the tree. Inside they found both children asleep on the animal pelts, Inuyasha spooning Kagome and Kagome's hand's tangled up in Inuyasha's haori. Food wrappers and soda cans littered the cave as well as playing cards and pieces to other games. Inuyasha stirred when his father entered the cave, his arms instinctively moving in a protective gesture over Kagome.

"Inuyasha," the girl said, yawning. Being abruptly pulled to Inuyasha's chest had woken her. "Is everything okay?"

Inuyasha blinked a few times before recognizing his father with a strange human. A few discreet sniffs identified the human as Kagome's father. "We fell asleep," Inuyasha yawned, a bit surprised.

His father raised an eyebrow, carefully observing his son's behavior. "Inuyasha, this is my friend Higurashi Yoshi. This is my son Inuyasha, Yoshi-San," introduced Inutashio.

Inuyasha nodded to the human and stood, helping Kagome to her feet. "Hello, Inuyasha," said Yoshi. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter."

"Feh."

Kagome giggled and turned to her father. "That's what he says when he doesn't know what to say or is cursing."

"Oi, Kagome!" yelled Inuyasha.

She giggled again and moved for her father to pick her up.

"Can I play with Inuyasha again tomorrow Papa? Please?!!!"

"I don't know dear. Inuyasha may be busy," he replied.

Kagome turned to Inutashio. "Please?" she asked, her face taking on a puppy dog look and her eyes turning to liquid.

Inutashio laughed and patted Inuyasha on the back. "Of course. Come Inuyasha, let's lead our friends home."

"Feh."

Inutashio led them back to his own house since the humans couldn't see in the dark. Kagome's mother was sitting on the front steps drinking tea with another lady that was later identified as Lady Ai, Inuyasha's mother. "I was beginning to worry," called Lady Ai when her husband approached them.

"Mama!" squealed Kagome, jumping down from her father's arms and running to Asami.

"Kagome," the elder woman gave a sigh of relief and tightly hugged her daughter.

"Guess what Mama! I met a boy named Inuyasha and he brought me to his cave and put Band-Aids on my knees cause I got two boo boos and then we hand sandwiches and cakes and chocolates. Then we played all these games and I learned a new one called BS. But Inuyasha wouldn't tell me what BS stood for. Do you know Mama?"

"Ah . . . When you're older dear," her mother replied.

"Guess what else Mama!" Kagome continued. "Inuyasha has the cutest ears! And he let me touch them! And he purrs! Isn't that the neatest Mama? And Papa's friend said we could play again tomorrow! Isn't that great? And Mama, can Inuyasha sleepover, pwetty pwetty please? I'll be an extra good girl."

Asami blinked after Kagome's speech. She had never heard her daughter say so much at once. Naturally, Kagome was a very quiet girl.

Lady Ai looked over to her son. "I hope you minded your manners."

"Feh."

"And guess what else Mama!" Kagome started again.

"Why don't you tell me when we get home?" Asami interrupted.

"Can Inuyasha come? Please Mama? Please, Please, Please, Please, Please? -"

"Alright. If it's okay with his parents, it's okay with me."

Kagome squealed and ran over to Lord Inutashio. "Pwetty please, sir?"

"Ask Inuyasha's mother, she's right over there," Inutashio replied with a fond smile, glancing at his son.

Kagome bowed deeply before running over to Lady Ai. "Can Inuyasha please sleep over Inuyasha's mother-sama?"

Lady Ai smiled and looked over to her son. "She's quite smitten with you," she said.

Inuyasha blushed ten shades of red and muttered a half-hearted `Feh.'

"And so polite," continued Ai. "Of course Inuyasha can sleep over Kagome-Chan."

Kagome squealed and jumped into Lady Ai's arms, hugging her tight. Then Kagome remembered her manners and bowed extra deeply. Lady Ai smiled up to her husband. "I want a daughter."

Lord Inutashio's face showed complete panic before saying, "We'll talk about it later."

Kagome had made her way over to Inuyasha and was holding onto his hand like it was her anchor to life. "You do want to sleep over? Right Inuyasha?"

"Feh."

Kagome squealed again. "That means yes," she told her mother.

Inuyasha's parents burst out laughing. "Oi!" Inuyasha called out.

"Sorry son," Inutashio smiled. "Why don't you go get your stuff?"

"Fine," Inuyasha muttered, walking into the house, Kagome still glued to his hand.

Asami's eyes were practically popping out of her head. "I've never seen Kagome warm up to someone so quickly," she mumbled.

"I'm quite surprised by Inuyasha's behavior as well," said Lady Ai.

Lord Inutashio smiled. "And I thought it was Inuyasha I had to worry about finding a mate. I'm more worried about Sesshomaru now."

Asami smiled fondly. "Kagome is quite taken by your son, even if his attitude is a bit . . ."

"Gruff," supplied Inutashio.

"Inuyasha doesn't have any friends," explained Ai.

"Why not? He's obviously a kind hearted boy," said Asami.

Inutashio sighed. "If only the world were that accepting."

^_^

"Inuyasha, we're going to have so much fun," giggled Kagome as she jumped on the hanyou's king sized bed. "We'll watch movies and play BS and eat ice-cream until we puke."

"You're not going to win at BS," Inuyasha grinned.

"I'll win someday. What does BS stand for?"

"Can't tell ya."

"Why?"

"Cause my mother would skin my hide."

"Is it bad?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," Kagome sat down on the bed and let her legs hand over the edge. "What movies do you want to watch?"

"No chick flicks."

"What's a chick flick?"

"Don't you know anything?"

"Of course I do."

Inuyasha snorted and grabbed his duffel bag. "Come on. We'll grab some movies from the TV room."

"Your home is huge. How many rooms are there?" Kagome said with big eyes.

Inuyasha scratched his head before replying. "Sixty five, maybe? I'm not sure. Alright, take your pick," he said as he opened the movie drawer.

"Wow, there's so many."

"If you don't want to pick, I will."

"No, I'm picking."

"What flavor ice-cream ya got?" asked Inuyasha after Kagome had made her decision.

"Don't know."

"Come on."

Inuyasha led Kagome to the kitchen and opened the freezer. "It'll melt before we get it to my house," Kagome said reluctantly.

"We'll just have to eat it now," Inuyasha replied.

^_^

"It took you awhile," Lady Ai said when Inuyasha and Kagome reappeared. She would have said more if she hadn't noticed each child carrying a pint of ice cream and a spoon.

Kagome's face was already covered in chocolate ice cream.

"Kagome Higurashi!" her mother yelled before taking a tissue from her pocket and attempting to clean Kagome's face.

"Mama," Kagome whined, backing up to hide behind Inuyasha and take another bit of her ice cream.

Yoshi burst out laughing. "Kagome dear, you shouldn't eat so much ice cream. You'll get sick."

"That's the idea," Kagome replied, still hiding behind Inuyasha.

Asami sighed and shook her head. "Come on kids. Let's get going."

"Now Inuyasha," said Lady Ai, wiping some of the ice cream off her son's nose. "Mind your manners and don't cause Yoshi-San or Asami-San any problems."

"Yes, mother," Inuyasha sighed.

^_^

Asami walked downstairs into her living room five hours later to find Inuyasha and Kagome both still awake, watching perhaps their fourth movie and eating their sixth bag of popcorn. "Is the movie almost over?" she asked, yawning.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied, not looking up.

Suddenly the movie showed a huge explosion and Kagome cheered. Asami looked at her watch. It was three in the morning and she was dead tired. The children didn't even look a little bit sleepy. Asami waited five minutes before the movie ended and then turned off the TV.

"Awe," Kagome whined. "But Mama, I wanted to watch another movie."

"It's bed time," she said. "Go brush your teeth."

Kagome pouted but nodded and pulled Inuyasha with her into the bathroom. "Do you need to borrow a tooth brush," she asked, fishing hers out of the medicine cabinet.

"I brought my own."

Kagome brushed her teeth in silence before she noticed Inuyasha's fangs. Quickly she spit out the toothpaste and gazed at Inuyasha's teeth. "That's so cool," she said.

"What?"

"You're teeth. You have fangs. That is so totally awesome."

Inuyasha shrugged and rinsed out his mouth. Asami opened the bathroom door before Kagome could say anything else. "Are you two done yet?" she asked, trying to hold off another yawn.

"Hai, Mama!" Kagome replied.

"Come on then. I pulled the bed out of the couch for you two."

"Thank you, Mama!" Kagome said, as hyper as ever as she pulled Inuyasha out of the bathroom and back downstairs.

Asami yawned and tucked both kids into bed, planting a kiss on both their foreheads, much to Inuyasha's surprise. "Sleep tight," she said, turning off the light and heading back upstairs.

"You had fun, right Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as soon as she heard her mother crawl back into bed.

"Yeah," Inuyasha admitted. "I had a lot of fun."

"It's my first sleep over. I didn't know if I did it right."

"It's my first sleep over too. And I had fun so it must have been done right."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

The two fell into a companionable silence before Kagome asked Inuyasha a question that had been plaguing her. "We're friends, right Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment before pulling Kagome into his arms and purring. "Yep. Friends for life."

Kagome smiled and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha. "Friends for life," she agreed, nodding before falling into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

^_^

Ai knocked lightly on the cottage door around lunchtime the next day. Inutashio had business to attend to that day and so she had decided to walk to her neighbor's house and get to know them a bit better since she would be seeing a lot more of them now that their children were friends.

Asami opened the door and smiled, waving Ai into the house. "My son didn't give you any trouble I hope," she said, looking around to see if there were any holes in the walls.

"No, not at all. Inuyasha is a very good boy," Asami assured her. "Would you like some tea, Lady Ai?"

"Tea sounds lovely. And please, call me Ai. We're neighbors after all."

Asami paused for a minute before nodding and smiled. "Inuyasha and Kagome are still asleep in the living room."

"Are you serious? Inuyasha's never been a late sleeper."

"It's no joke. Come see."

Asami led Ai into the living room where Inuyasha and Kagome were indeed still asleep wrapped in each other's arms. "I don't believe it," Ai said in awe.

Inuyasha seemed to recognize his mother's voice and shifted in his sleep. "What time did they go to bed?" asked Ai.

"I made sure the TV was off and they were tucked in at three," Asami replied, yawning a bit.

"Mother?" Inuyasha asked, disentangling himself from Kagome enough to sit up.

"Did you have fun, dear?" asked Ai, kissing her son's forehead.

"Yeah. Kagome and I really did get sick on ice cream."

"You were told that would happen but did you listen?"

"Of course not."

Kagome yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight that was filtered through the room. "Is it morning already?" she asked, stretching.

"It's lunch time," her mother notified her.

"Lunch time?" said Inuyasha, his eyes going big.

"Are you two hungry? Would you like some ice cream?" asked Asami, an evil glint in her eye.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha groaned. "No more ice cream," Inuyasha said. "Not for another ten or twenty years."

"What he said," agreed Kagome.

Asami giggled and shook her head. "Why don't you two get dressed and then you can go play outside."

"Okay," Kagome agreed.

^_^

"It's amazing how close those two are," observed Ai as she watched her son through the kitchen window play a game with Kagome.

"I quite agree," said Asami, pouring the tea. "But then, Kagome didn't have any friends before she met Inuyasha, so maybe it's not so amazing. The more solitary a person is, the more drawn they are to other people."

Ai nodded and sipped her tea. "I'm very glad our children met. Inuyasha's always been so . . . hesitant to let anyone get close. And his brother doesn't help that."

"Sesshomaru?" Asami asked for confirmation.

"Hai. Sesshomaru is my stepson. He's full Inuyoukai. He doesn't get along with Inuyasha at all. Of course, if anyone outside the family insults Inuyasha, they better pray they're stronger than Sesshomaru because that boy is very protective of his younger brother."

"Maybe he just resents that fact Inuyasha is part human?"

"I think that's something to do with it. Sesshomaru doesn't like me for being human, but he respects me. I think if Inuyasha proves himself to Sesshomaru's standards to be worthy to be apart of the family, then maybe Sesshomaru wouldn't be so hard on him."

Asami shook her head and sighed. "Well Inuyasha won't have to worry about his blood with Kagome. My daughter doesn't know the difference between youkai and human."

"Really?" asked Ai with interest.

"Hai. It helps that we're so isolated. My husband and I don't agree with the way society functions, so we raised Kagome to be indifferent upon a person's species."

Ai smiled. "Now I know why my husband holds Yoshi-San in such high regard."

Asami smiled in return. "Yes. My husband is certainly one of a kind."

^_^