Inuyasha: First Bullies

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Ichiro © Me

Summary- In which Ichiro experiences the downside of being born part-demon.

The sun had risen high into the mid-morning sky. The villagers are out, working hard in the fields, chopping wood outside of their houses, shopping for food, and other things. The older folks sit around, chatting to one another while the children run and play.

At a small house near the village outskirts, Kagome sits in her garden, harvesting her medicinal herbs and putting them in a basket. Inuyasha had already left earlier this morning to go slay demons with Miroku, thus leaving her to tend to the housework, as well as care for their 4-year-old son, who had gone off to play in the village.

As Kagome kept working, she heard the sound of grass rustling beneath bare feet, followed by a small whimper.

"M…Mom…?"

"Yes, Ichiro-" Kagome started, only to gasp in shock at the sight that stood before her eyes: her son, Ichiro Higurashi, with his slate kimono tattered and torn up, his grayish-silver hair messed up, one pointy dog ear that was red on the inside from being pinched, his face covered up in scratches, and his right eye nearly swollen shut due to a large, purple bruise.

"Ichi, what happened to you?!" Kagome asked, putting her hands on his shoulders.

XXX

"Lady Kagome, I am so sorry about this! I have no idea what got into my son!"

"It's all right, as long as it doesn't happen again."

Kagome and Ichiro stood in front of the hut of a rather stout woman wearing a lavender kimono, a light yellow bandana around her forehead, and wearing a white apron. Next to her stood a skinny boy with a light blue shirt with green circle patterns on it, the shirt being so long that it looked like he was not wearing pants, and a red obi was tied around his waist. His face was smudged with dirt and his clothes seemed to be in tatters, and his dark brown hair was put up in a topknot.

"Densuke, you apologize to Lady Kagome's son, right this instant!" said the boy's mother, sternly.

The boy, Densuke, furrowed his brow before glancing at Ichiro, who blinked at him while his mother's hand.

"I…I…" Densuke stammered…but then he growled. "No! I don't wanna apologize! I shouldn't have to!"

"Densuke!" his mother scolded.

"No, Mama!" Densuke shouted. "Why should I apologize to him?! He's part demon, and demons are bad! Papa said so!"

Kagome gasped before she looked down at Ichiro, who sniffled as his eyes starting to tear up.

"…That's what he said to me when he beat me up…!" he whimpered.

"…Oh, Ichi," Kagome said, sadly.

"I-I'll talk to Densuke, Lady Kagome," said Densuke's mother. "Again, I apologize."

"It's all right," Kagome assured. "I'm more worried about what Ichiro's father will say when he finds out."

Ichiro gasped, as if horrified, before grabbing his mother's red hakama pants and tugging at them, pleadingly.

"No, Mom!" he cried. "Don't tell Dad! Please don't!"

"Ichiro, your father will find out sooner or later, even if I don't tell him," Kagome said.

"But Mom!" Ichiro begged. "You know how scary Dad is when he gets mad! Please, don't tell him! Please, Mom!"

"Ichi…your father would want to know, now," Kagome told him, "so I'm telling him when he gets home, whether you like it or not."

The quarter-demon moaned worriedly.

XXX

"Kagome, I'm back!"

In the kitchen, Kagome looked up upon hearing her husband's voice entering the house before she glanced over at a corner, where her son sits with his back turned to her, sniffling as he holds his eye.

"Your dad's home, Ichi," she said.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice called out. "Ichiro? Hello~?"

"We're in the kitchen!" Kagome called back, and soon after, the half-demon appeared, greeted by a warm hug from his wife. "Welcome home. You and Miroku have any luck, today?"

"There was just one salamander demon," Inuyasha answered. "Wasn't even as powerful as people said it was. One sutra from Miroku and it was gone. Waste of my time if you ask me."

"Well, at least you're home, safely," Kagome commented. "There's actually something pretty urgent I need to talk to you about, though."

"What's up?" asked Inuyasha.

"…Ichi," Kagome called, gently. "Come here."

Ichiro tensed before he stood up and turned around, revealing bandages on his scratches, cuts, and his bruised eye, which is currently being healed with a special herb remedy to reduce the swelling around it. Inuyasha gasped in shock upon seeing his son in such a state before he kneeled down in front of him, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Ichi, what happened to you?!" Inuyasha asked.

"…Nothing," Ichiro answered.

"Ichiro, don't lie!" Inuyasha scolded. "What really happened?!"

"…I got beat up," Ichiro replied.

"By who?"

"A boy in the village."

"When did this happen?"

"Earlier today, while you were out and Mom was in the garden."

"I tried getting the boy to apologize," Kagome said, "but apparently he's…one of those people."

"…You mean…?" Inuyasha asked.

"Uh-huh," Kagome nodded, causing him to sigh.

"Great," Inuyasha muttered. "Just great."

"Apparently, the boy learned it from his father," Kagome said. "I asked Ichiro if Densuke had beat him up before, and…apparently, it's been going on for about a few weeks, and sometimes, he'd even bring his friends along to join in."

"And I didn't tell you before because…well…" Ichiro said before he mumbled something under his breath.

"Because of what, son?" Inuyasha asked. "Come on, you can tell me."

"…I was afraid you'd hurt them," Ichiro answered. "I know how you get all scary when you get angry. That's why I didn't tell you at first, Dad…and I'm sorry."

"…I see," Inuyasha whispered before he pulled his son into an embrace. "Ichi…that's not gonna happen. I won't lose my temper and lash out at people. I may've done something like that back when I was younger…but that's not who I am anymore."

Kagome smiled, and Ichiro seemed to heave a small sigh of relief.

However, despite the heartwarming moment, Inuyasha's frown could not be seen behind the backs of his family as he let his mind wander to days long passed.

Flashback

The sounds of harsh blows landing on sensitive flesh pierced the air, followed by the cries of pain and helplessness, as well as cruel laughter.

"Take this, you stupid half-breed!" shouted a young human boy of ten years, dressed in fine robes of red and purple, as he slams a stick against a head of silvery hair, causing the owner to yelp in pain once more as he lied up in fetal position on the ground, his body already covered in various scratches and bruises. Around him, other human children, about 3 more boys and a girl, stood, laughed and pointed at his victim.

"Do it again, Toramaru!" shouted the girl. "Hit Inuyasha again!"

"Stop it!" cried the little half-demon. "Leave me alone! What did I do to you guys?!"

"Be quiet, you demon spawn!" shouted Toramaru. "You should know your place! Don't ever come up to me and ask to play again! I would never lower myself to associating with a half-breed like you!"

"Yeah, what he said!" added one of his friends, a boy with red hair and bucked teeth, and soon, the other children laughed at Inuyasha, who lied on the ground with tears of frustration and pain in his eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Leave my son alone!"

The children gasped before they turned and fled, and not long after they did so, a woman with long black hair and beautiful pink floral robes appeared, a stern look in her eyes.

"If I ever see you beating on my son, again, you'll all get what's coming to you!" shouted Izayoi.

"I don't have to listen to you, you witch!" shouted Toramaru before he kept running.

Izayoi only sneered before she looked down at Inuyasha, who sniffled as he wiped his eyes, and almost instantly, her anger vanished, replaced with sadness and sympathy for her unfortunate half-demon child.

"Oh, my little Inuyasha," she said, sitting down on her knees as she gathered Inuyasha into her arms, holding him close to her heart. "I'm so sorry."

"I…it's not fair…!" Inuyasha whimpered. "I just wanted to be friends with them!"

"I know," Izayoi said as she continued to console him…as tears of her own welled up in her eyes, as well. "I know, Inuyasha…!"

Flashback end

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha gasped slightly as he looked back at Kagome, who blinked at him in concern…or rather, at their son, who is struggled to get out of Inuyasha's embrace.

"Dad…you're squishing me…!" Ichiro squeaked.

"Oh!" Inuyasha cried as he let go. "Sorry about that, son!"

"It's okay," Ichiro said.

"So, Inuyasha," Kagome started, "what are we gonna do?"

The half-demon sighed as he scratched his head.

"I'll have a talk with Densuke's old man," he said.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome, I'm not gonna lose my temper," Inuyasha assured. "I promise I won't."

"…Okay then," Kagome replied. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Inuyasha nodded with a small smile.

XXX

The following morning, Densuke is out in the fields, picking rice with his mother.

"I'd much rather be playing kemari with my friends," the boy huffed.

"You hush now!" his mother scolded. "Consider this punishment for beating on poor little Ichiro the other day. He may be part demon, but that gives you no right to treat him the way you did!"

"Hmph," Densuke scoffed. "Whatever."

"Hey!"

The mother and child looked up to see Inuyasha, standing on the path above.

"Oh! Inuyasha!" said Densuke's mother. "What brings you here?"

"…Is your husband home by any chance?" Inuyasha asked. "I'd like to speak to him, if you don't mind."

XXX

"Wabisuke! We have a guest!"

A tall, tanned skinned man wearing a dark blue shirt with black pinstripes, a navy hakama, and a black obi around his waist sits on the floor of the house, smoking a kisaru pipe. He has a thin mustache and spiky dark brown hair done up in a topknot, just like Densuke's.

"Wabisuke! Did you hear me?!"

"Yeah, I heard you, woman!" the man, Wabisuke barked, but as he looked up, he gasped upon seeing Inuyasha standing in the doorway, a surprisingly calm expression on his features.

"Hey," the half-demon greeted. "I just thought I'd come by and talk for a bit."

Wabisuke only sat there, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll make us all some tea?" Densuke's mother suggested.

"That'd be nice," Inuyasha replied as he sat down in front of Wabisuke, his arms crossed while the housewife went to get the tea started. A long, somewhat unsettling pause occurred, until finally, the man swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat and spoke up.

"What are you doing in my house, half-demon?" he asked.

"I'll cut to the chase," Inuyasha replied. "For about a few week, your kid's been picking on my mine. Yesterday, Kagome told me that my son came home covered in scratches and bruise, and apparently, your son, Densuke, beat him up because you told him that demons are bad. Is this true?"

"Yeah, it's true," Wabisuke answered. "So what if it is?"

"Look, buddy," Inuyasha warned. "I want your son to stop beating on my son, and I want you to tell him to tell his friends to stop it, too. My son's done nothing to your family."

Wabisuke only chuckled, just as his wife came in, holding a tray of teacups.

"Why would I tell my boy to stop doing something he should?" he asked. "He's keeping your boy in his place. Demons are nothing but scum. They never did any good for anyone. They're liars, murderers, and thieves is what they are…you and your son are no different from them. It's only natural that my son teach yours a lesson!"

Just as he was about to take a drag of his pipe…a blur of red appeared before his eyes, snatching it right out of his fingers. Wabisuke blinked as he found it in the palm of Inuyasha's hand. The half-demon sat there silently, but then he gritted his teeth as he clenched his hand into a fist…and soon after, there was a loud snap. Soon, the half-demon opened his fist, allowing the two halves of the broken kisaru to fall onto the wooden floor.

"…I was trying to peaceable about this," Inuyasha said, glaring at the stunned man with his golden eyes, "but now…you've already crossed a line."

Wabisuke gasped as Inuyasha stood up and approached him, and even his wife looked a bit frightened. Nearby, Densuke, peeking through the straw flap in the doorway, shook as he watched, his knees buckling. He screwed his eyes shut as he began to envision Inuyasha, drawing his mighty Tetsusaiga, and cleaving his father in two with it…but as he opened them, all he saw was the dog half-demon, standing over the man, who didn't dare to stand.

"Just as I thought," Inuyasha growled. "You really are a coward, aren't you?"

Wabisuke gulped nervously.

"All right then," Inuyasha said. "From now on, this is how it's gonna be. You tell your kid to stop picking on mine. No more beatings and calling names. Now…if Ichiro comes home without any injuries, then that'll be the end of it…but if I hear that he's being picked on again…well…you better hope that you see Kagome next time and not me. Got it?"

"Y…yeah," Wabisuke nodded.

"And another thing," Inuyasha added. "My son would never hurt anybody…so don't lump me or him in with the rest of those demons who have no qualms with killing innocent people."

With that, he turned and left, but not before he looked back at the wife and said "I'll pass on the tea. Thanks anyway."

A pause…before a large thud soon broke the silence. As Densuke looked…he saw his father passed out on the floor, his eyes rolled back into his skull and foam frothing from his mouth.

XXX

"Kagome, I'm back!"

Kagome raised her head up as she heard the sound of the door slide open and shut as her husband entered. Sitting nearby is Sango, who is sipping a cup of tea.

"Hey, welcome back!" Kagome greeted as she stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "How did it go?"

"…Densuke's not gonna bother Ichi, anymore," Inuyasha replied, causing Kagome to sigh in relief. "Unfortunately, I don't think his old man is gonna change his view on demons."

"Oh, boy," Sango muttered, earning a small glare from Inuyasha.

"…You didn't…you know…snap or anything, right?" Kagome asked, worriedly.

"Well…I almost lost my temper," the half-demon admitted, "but…I kept my cool. All I did was stand up and he didn't even make any attempt at standing up either. Just sat there like a whimpering pup."

"So he's all bark and no bite, huh?" Kagome asked. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"He's definitely one of those people," Inuyasha added. "He actually had the gall to say that our son was like all those other demons in the world!"

"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome muttered, sadly.

"Now don't try and sugarcoat it," Inuyasha said. "Not everyone is gonna be tolerant of demons, no matter how much we want them to. There's at least one person in almost every village that will hate demons, even those who are part demon, like me and Ichi."

"Well…who said you needed their approval?" Sango asked.

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered.

"Just go out back and you'll see," Kagome answered, causing her husband to blink in confusion before he made his way to the backyard. The priestess and ex-demon slayer looked at each other before giggling.

As for Inuyasha, he opens the door to the backyard, where the beautiful sound of children's laughter fills the air, and he gasps silently as he sees Ichiro, running around in the grass with Shiratsuki, Haruhana, Roku, and even Shippo, all while under the watchful gaze of Miroku, who smiles at Inuyasha and waves to him. The half-demon pauses before he, too, smiles warmly.

"Dad!" Ichiro exclaimed as he ran over to Inuyasha and leapt into his arms, causing him to laugh as he held him tight. "Did you talk to Densuke's dad?"

"Yeah, I did," Inuyasha said. "Densuke and his friends won't bother you anymore."

Ichiro smiled before he nuzzled his face into his father's chest while Shiratsuki, Haruhana, Roku, and Shippo gathered around.

"Thanks, Dad," Ichiro said. "You're the best."

Inuyasha chuckled as he pet his son on the head, gently.

"Hey, Dad?"

"What?"

Ichiro suddenly tapped his finger on his father's nose.

"You're it!" he chirped before he jumped down to the ground and ran, and soon after, the rest of the children scrambled, all while shrieking in mock fear.

"Oh, now you're gonna get it!" Inuyasha exclaimed before he gave chase. "Come here, you! I'm gonna get ya!"

Miroku laughed as he sat under the tree nearby while his half-demon friend played and the kids played their little game of tag, and as Ichiro playfully tackled his father's leg, Inuyasha fell down on his back, laughing his heart out as the others soon dog-piled on top of him while in a fit of giggles. Kagome and Sango soon came outside, laughing as well.

There was no guarantee that Ichiro would never be bullied again…but at least his family and friends would always be there to cheer him up when need-be.

THE END

Yeah, I know it's not One Piece, but come on, I don't do One Piece stuff all the time, but I will update One Piece Prompts as soon as I can...whenever that might be.

Anyway, review, please!