After All This Time

Ch.6 The Seeds of Change

"I'll start," Inuyasha said.

He went back to the beginning, twelve years ago when he had depart with Moroha. At the time she didn't have a name to be called by. It took the half-demon about two full weeks to brainstorm of one. Coincidentally, the place he first named her was the same place he leads today.

The Fujimura Province.

There wasn't anything too remarkable about the village except its beautiful scenery and agriculture. The village was centered around a minor branch of the grand river. Agriculturally and technologically advanced, the villagers who lived in this province were open-minded to new inventions and ideas. More so than others. Traditions and cultural practices still held a high place in the village, but that didn't blind them from change. The Fujimura Province was looked at as a place with an eternal Golden Age.

The size of the Fujimura province was around fifteen times the size of Kaede's village. Though the province was bigger than the village Inuyasha was previously residing in, the Fujimura province was considered the smallest province in the surrounding lands. The modest province was so inferior is size that the inhabitants and surrounding villages and provinces would sometimes give it the title village. It was a common occurrence at this point. Even if you might be deceived by the title "village" the province was seen as a valued tourist and vacation spot and looked to for their innovations.

During this time when he arrived at the province, he worked on the farmlands. He did physical labor with a loving family. The head of the family, Akihiko Nakaya was suffering from an accident during the rainy seasons that crippled his leg. From what they told he was washed away by the flood and his ankle got caught by a tree root. It was an unfortunate incident since it hindered his income. Akihito would heal and be able to work again.

He had two daughters and a wife. The wife, Misato was in charge of separating and checking the daily vegetation, along with housework. Despite being a peasant she had a plump, round figure making her envied by other women. She was the attraction of the village; a symbol of health and prosperity. 

The youngest Himari, was around 12 and, unlike her mother, she was thin, frail, and more susceptible to sickness. It's common for the younger siblings to be weak. She took care of the rice plants and helped her mother. For someone so frail she was quick to put someone in their place if they acted out around her. Wise beyond her years, quick tempered, but kind at heart.

The oldest Ichika was 19. Her job pertained to helping her father in the field. She was strong willed and had the strength to match it. A bit of a wild child but unlike her younger sister she had great patience. She also had a nack for tinkering and smart despite lack of education. Because Ichika was a girl and his daughter, the father didn't want his oldest daughter to work in the fields all alone. So when he happened to cross paths with Inuyasha with his child, he was willing to let Inuyasha stay with them.

They didn't know nor had had any idea that he was a demon. Inuyasha made it a point to cover his ears with a square piece of black fabric wrapped around his head like a bandanna. His hair was still a white silver and his yellow eyes made him stand out. Inuyasha had explained to the family how he was born with these features so he was looked down upon by his birth village and he came here for a new start. It wasn't a total lie. He did receive judgment and was bullied for his hair and eyes, he didn't include the ears and half-demon part and lied about his Tessaiga.

He did in fact come here for a fresh start with his daughter. Inuyasha had added and left out a few pieces of information. He doubts they would let him stay with them if they knew he was a demon. But with his heart-wrenching story in place, they took pity on him and let him stay.

As payment for his hard work, they were surprised that the half-demon didn't ask for more, he would get six percent of what they usually make. Along with that a room and food. Any other personal expense would be his responsibility and not the family. They felt like they should give more to the person that would be doing the hardest work out of them all, but Inuyasha refused. He didn't want to rely upon them too much.