In the village by the river lived a woman known to the people as Lady Kikyo.
Lady Kikyo was admired and respected by many, perhaps because of her great beauty, or her great kindness, or her great spiritual power.
I happened to respect her for the latter, and only for the latter--or, at least, so it was at first.
But even so, my great respect couldn't keep me out of the temple.
My great respect had been earned. I hadn't always had it. The first time I'd tried to steal the Shikon jewel--the jewel of four souls, with enough power to satiate my lust--I'd been trigger-itch and overconfident in my abilities. I'd torn through the village in pure daylight, leaping from roof to roof until I'd made it to the temple. I'd even caught a glimpse of the jewel, shimmering within its walls, emitting a palpable aura that drew demons to it like moths to a flame.
And then, of course, I'd been stopped in my tracks.
By her.
There she stood, on that warm day, her long, black hair moving in the direction of the wind. Her garments fluttering. The wind carried her scent away from me, and I hadn't even sensed her considerable power. She had completely caught me by surprise. The only reason I noticed her at all was because I had heard her notch her arrow.
It was pointed at me.
"Don't move, InuYasha!"
She knew my name, which took me aback. But I tried to hide this fact.
"I'm sorry," I said. Stalling for time. "I didn't realize we knew each other."
"I've heard stories about you, and I know why you've come. But you won't get what you're after."
The muscles in my body coiled, as I prepared to make a sudden dash when the moment was right. When she lost her focus.
"What makes you so sure?"
She pulled the arrow farther back, her eyes cold. I studied them, but they betrayed nothing.
"I never miss," she said simply, moving the bow almost imperceptibly, until the tip of the arrowhead was aimed right at my heart. I felt my breathing grow shallow. I assessed my options rapidly, eyeing the temple entrance which she stood before.
There was only one way in, and although I knew I was fast, I knew so were her arrows.
And so I swallowed my pride and surrendered, almost feeling ashamed with the way in which she regarded me. I raised my hands in the air, sunlight glinting off of my claws. I felt the warmth on my skin, and the coolness of the shadows between my slender fingers.
"Whatever," I said. "Maybe not today--maybe I was careless--but one day." I smirked. "Later, Lady Kikyo."
And with that, I turned and made for the relative safety of the forest.
