Koneko equals kitten

I do not own Inuyasha, I love them dearly but I do not, So no suing me, I'm legal, just writing a story from my wittle imagination. So, read, enjoy, and review!

Chapter 1: Memories

{Inuyasha's POV}
Inuyasha sat in a clearing watching the cherry blossoms fall from the trees and color the land pink. The others were gone, doing different things in a nearby village and he'd stayed in the woods, not wanting to go around all of the humans. This land was near to where he originally lived with his mother and it was a bit of a sore spot to be this close to it. He sighed heavily as images of his mother filled his head, when he was too young to really remember much there had been someone else that had helped her with him, but after his father's death thersoerson had had to go away, they'd never returned. He couldn't remember her name, but he did remember that she had the softest, silver hair he had ever touched, he ran his hands through his own course hair and an image of that someone brushing out every tangle without causing any pain played out in his mind.

He remembered that Sesshomaru had been there and his eyes narrowed as a new thought occurred to him, /what if he was the one that made her leave?/ He growled deep in his throat subconsciously, "That would be something he would do."
Shippou popped up next to him on a rock, "Something who would do, Inuyasha?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might like one of these." He held up a powdered rice cake, "they're really good, someone was selling them for a really low price...so I bought some for us, besides the girls are doing some kind of game thing. It looked really boring, but that's all they wanted to do...So I came to keep you company."

Inuyasha let a small smile creep onto his lips, "thanks, Shippou, I guess it's just the two of us and our thoughts."

"Inuyasha, are you thinking about Kagome?"

"No, why?"

"Because you usually get that look when you think about her...are you in love with someone else?"

"No, I'm just thinking," Hok aok a bite out of his rice cake and never noticed the concerned look Shippou gave him.

"Neh, Inuyasha...are you thinking about Kikyou?"

"No, not by a long shot."

"Then who are you thinking about?"

"I can't remember her name. I just remember that I miss her, a lot."

"If you can't remember her name, then why do you miss her?"

"She helped my mother take care of me a long time ago."

"Oh, um...Inuyasha, I'm going to go look into the lake, so I don't annoy you."

Inuyasha laid back against a tree and let his mind wonder back in time.

//He felt someone stroking his ears and opened his eyes to find himself, five years old looking up into warm silver eyes. He sighed happily and leaned into the touch, a soft voice whispered to him, "Come on Inuyasha, we have to get you ready for a walk."

"Can't I just stay here?"

"Don't you want to walk with me?"

He stood up and reached out his hand to hers, "I'll walk with you to the ends of the world."

"You're so sweet, now come on, I have a surprise for you."

"Are you going to fix some of your special rice cakes?"

"Maybe..."

"Please!?? I love those things."

"Come on, I might make them later." They walked out into the dark garden and Inuyasha leaned closer to her, feeling the softness of her newest kimono. They reached the darkest end of the garden and his grip on her hand tightened. "You're not scared are you Inuyasha?"

"No, I'm just protecting you..."

"Oh, how brave."

A candle lit in the dark and Inuyasha jumped as his whole family jumped up and yelled, "Surprise....Happy Birthday Inuyasha!"

Even Sesshomaru stood in the corner, he didn't look happy about it, but he was there, watching her with an odd look on her face.

She leaned down next to his ear, "Happy birthday, my little Inu."

He hugged her tightly, "No one else has ever celebrated my birthday."

"I made rice cakes for everyone, but I made bunches for you."

"I love you Koneko(*1)-chan!"

"I love you too, Inu-chan." Inuyasha ran up to the mountain of rice cakes and began eating slowly, savoring each bite. He looked up to find his half brother looking at him in disgust, until she came over and smiled brightly. "Enjoy, they're all just for you."

"Thank you, so much, you make the best rice cakes...even better than mommy's"

His mother actually smiled while eating her own rice cake, "I can't really complain when I know he's right."

The small crowd parted and let his father through, "Daddy!....But I thought you were busy meeting with the Demon of the East?"

"I finished up quickly and came home to tell you happy birthday." He picked him up and hugged him gently, "you didn't think I'd miss your birthday did you?" He looked at him closely, "Just look how big you are getting."

Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru growl lowly, he knew that his half brother was not happy about this, and that meant he shouldn't go anywhere alone. "Thanks daddy."

"I brought you a small gift. I found it in the East, it reminded me of you." He pulled out a small sword that was just the right size for Inuyasha to play with.

"Thank you daddy!" He began play fighting with it as soon as it touched his hand and grinned as he thought of ways to embarrass Sesshomaru when he got better with it. He ran over to the silver haired cat Demon, "Hey, Koneko, look at what daddy gave me. Think you could teach me how to fight with it?"

"Of course, that is to say if it is all right with your parents."

"Only if you work extra hard with your spelling and numbers first every night."

Inuyasha groaned, "All right, but since it is my birthday, can we skip that part tonight...please?"

"Just this once."

"Yay, come on, I want to start now!" He grabbed her clawed hand and began pulling her out of the hut.

"Whoa, wait a minute, at least let me have some dinner first. I haven't eaten today."

"Will you eat fast?"

She looked at his little face, smiling hopefully up at her before grabbing one of the cooked fish and heading out the door with him, "I'll just eat on the way there.”

They ended up in the training arena and she showed him a few moves that are most used in sword fighting. Inuyasha felt eyes watching them intently, but ignored them, concentrating on learning everything she was teaching him. She picked up an older sword that was kept in a certain spot at all times for training exercises. She faced him and took the fighting stance, before attacking at less than 1/3 her normal speed to help him get a feel for the moves before testing him.
Inuyasha fought back and smiling, they both went through the moves together. Their fun lasted for an hour before a snake demon attacked, going for Inuyasha and Koneko turned the sword on it, slowly taking her fighting back up to its actually lethal level.

Inuyasha stared in wonder as she took chuck after chunk out of the demon, all the while keeping far enough away so as not to let it touch her, he saw Sesshomaru watching out of the corner of his eyes.

The snake demon hissed violently as its attacks failed, “Ssssssstupid catssssss demon. Getsssssss out of my way sssssssss.”

Koneko smiled, “who you calling stupid,...ugly?”

“Ssssss, youssss will diessssss for thatssss, sssssss you arrogantsssssss bitch sssss.”

“Who are you calling a bitch?” Her voice had gone deathly quiet and her ears were flat from anger, “You dare to call me stupid at first? But now you call me a female dog in heat? I am a cat demon of a great line, NOW DIE!” She attacked with her sword glowing fiercely, “reikon inmetsu yaiba (*2)!” The snake demon disappeared in a cloud of dust, leaving Koneko standing in the center of the arena, smiling triumphantly. “Ha, take that you low life demon.”

“Koneko...what was that?”

“Hm, oh that was one of my special attacks, I learned it when I was...hm, I think I was 13-years-old."

"Could you teach me?"

"Maybe, when you are older. Now, let's get you home, it's past time for you to get to bed."

"Oh, I don't wanna go home yet."

"Inuyasha, if you whine, I will stop teaching you."

His mouth snapped closed, "all right, let's go home."//

Inuyasha jerked awake as Shippou Shook his shoulder, "Neh, Inuyasha wake up, the girls are coming back. Miroku must have found someone to harass."

"Why did I need to be awake because the girls are back? Unless they're ready to go find the jewel shards...I don't care."

Shippou took a few steps back, "um, Inuyasha...who is Koneko?"

Inuyasha growled, "You can either leave, or I can kill you...you have three seconds to decide...1...2...." Shippou took off

running as if Sesshomaru himself were after him. "I thought that might get him going."

Kagome walked into the clearing, "Hey, Inuyasha, where'd Shippou go?"

"Feh, don't know, don't care." He climbed into a tall tree as Kagome and Sango made camp.

"I wonder what's gotten into him."

Sango looked up, "maybe Shippou spent the day annoying him."

"Nah, they've been getting along really well lately, like they've finally decided to be friends."

Shippou walked back into the camp and looked around cautiously for Inuyasha, "Is he gone?"

"For the moment, hey do you have any idea what is wrong with Inuyasha."

"No, none at all."

"Come on then, let's eat and get to sleep it has been a long day."


[NEXT MORNING]

Inuyasha woke everyone up earlier than usual and got them walking, it was time to continue the search for the shards of the sacred jewel. Shippou looked at him sullenly, thinking of a few things that he had learned yesterday...thanks to Inuyasha's sleep talking. Everyone was keeping a keen eye open for any shards, but with so few left it was become more of a rare thing to find any. "Neh, Inuyasha, I'm tired can't we take a break for lunch?"

Inuyasha sighed, but looked down at him before flopping down on a rock, "Fine, but eat fast...we won't find any shards here."

Everyone sat down and groaned as they let their feet rest, they were all going to be sore tomorrow. Kagome took off her shoes and rubbed her feet, "Hey, Inuyasha, what's with the sudden determination to find the jewel shards now?"

"Feh, just hurry and fix your lunch so we can get moving again."

A rustle in some bushes drew his attention, and out walked Sesshomaru with his sword ready, "Die, Inuyasha!"
He attacked quickly, leaving hardly anytime for Inuyasha to even draw his sword, but Inuyasha's mind still wondered, /did he send her away after father's death?/ His voice was laced with venom as he looked at his brother, "I have a question for you...brother."

Sesshomaru froze, "What is it you mutt?"

"Did you send her away?"

"Who are you talking about you half breed?"

"Koneko!"

Sesshomaru's eyes opened wide, but he retained his fighting stance, "No, of course not...I liked her, she just left after father's death, I bet it was your mother that sent her away. You were always off playing with her until she left."
Inuyasha's mind whirled, /is he telling the truth?/ "Why should I believe you?"

"I am many things....but a liar I am not. Now if you are quite done talking..."

He attacked again, but it only lasted a few moments before they were thrown apart by a violent blast of miasma. Naraku walked into the clearing, covered in his baboon skin and laughing at the two demons. "Mind if I cut in?" Kikyou walked out from behind him, standing proudly next to the dark demon with no emotions on her face, "Oh, I mean mind if we cut in?" Naraku attacked, slicing away at the already somewhat weakened demons, "With luck I can get rid of both of you." His miasma caught Inuyasha off guard after few moments he he was sent flying back, injured with only a single cry. Naraku laughed maniacally, "Time for you to die."

Kikyou stepped forward, "It is time for you to go to Hell with me."

"No."

"What did you say?'

"I said no, I can no longer keep my promise to go to Hell with you...I have someone to find."

"You have no choice anymore." A spell began weaving from her lips and Inuyasha lost control of hidy, dy, "Come, Inuyasha, it is time for you to keep your promise to Her Her arms wove around him and a circle appeared as the Hell's gate opened.

Kagome ran forward, trying to get to him, "Inuyasha! Fight it!"

Kikyou smirked, "He can't, and you are not powerful enough to stop me." A sword came out of no where and closed the gate, "What is happening?" Kikyou's voice sounded almost panicked, the sword pulsed and she was thrown back, as was Naraku and the miasma.

Only Shippou saw the silver blur running through them, and them Inuyasha was being carried away. "Kagome...Inuyasha's gone...and so is that sword." They all looked up to see Sesshomaru running in the same direction that Shippou had seen the blur go, "And there goesshosshomaru too."

*1-Koneko=Kitten
*2-reikon inmetsu yaiba=soul destruction sword