Originally posted in May of 2013 on Quizilla

*Name requested by QT

Name: Suzume*

Meaning: sparrow

Life story: 

Your life was good enough for a half-breed. It was mainly just you and your mother; you'd only seen your father once. Your mother gave you the strength to put up with the cruel treatment which your peers subjected you to. You kept that strength with you even after she died from an illness. With nothing left for you in the village, you left.

You knew that your father always roamed the outskirts of the village, so you searched the area in hopes of finding him. You eventually came upon a raccoon-dog demon who was searching over the blood-stained corpse of a cat demon. You're blood ran cold.

"What happened here?" you asked, knowing that the raccoon-dog was not responsible for this by the fact that he didn't have even one drop of blood on him.

"Hmm?" the raccoon-dog replied, apparently just noticing you. He snickered, "Oooh, the cat had a half-breed runt, did he?"

"What do you mean?" you asked. "That can't be my—"

"—Your father?" he said a snicker. "Yes, yes, I can smell his blood in you, heheh."

"What happened here?" you repeated.

"Well, a fight of course," the tanuki answered. "The other demon... hmm, I think he said his name. What was it now... Kohaku... ...Suzaku... Naraku! Yes, it was Naraku! 

"I could've sworn the cat had al shard of the Jewel of Four Souls on him, but I can't find it anywhere. That Naraku must have snatched it. Pity. Oh well. Plenty of other things on him; like his sword. Now where is it? Maybe in the sheath?"

"Don't touch him," you hissed when the tanuki reached for your father.

He began laughing hysterically. "Ah, half-breed thinks it can threaten me? How amusing. No, nothing here, anyhow. So be it; it's yours. Count yourself lucky this time, half-breed."

The raccoon-dog scurried away, and you relaxed for a moment before being alerted by the presence of another demon nearby. You walked to where you sensed to presence coming from, and happened upon a two-tailed cat demon licking its paw. You were aware that, although they generally assumed a small, innocent appearance, that two-tailed cat demons were capable of growing into large, monstrous creatures at will. Yet the little demon made no move to do so. Interest waning, you turned around and walked away from the two-tailed cat demons, only to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet behind you. You stopped and turned around to see the two-tailed cat demons following you. After a moment you smiled, bemused.

"Alright," you said, "you can come. Just mind yourself."

Your mother had always been your one reason to live, and you had hoped to find new reason with your father. Having seen his lifeless body, drenched in blood like that, you found new reason: to find this Naraku and make him pay for what he'd done. And you knew just had to do it.

"I sensed it over here—I'm sure of it!" you heard a voice say. Looking down from the tree branch you were sitting on, your eyes met those of a lone human girl. "Over here!" she said, and as if on cue, several others ran to stand next to her.

"What do you want, human?" you asked, equally suspicious as well as confused.

"Your jewel shard!" another voice said, and you turned your head towards the location of the voice, only just noticing a half dog demon.

"And what makes you think I have one of those?" you asked.

"Call it a hunch," the dog demon replied. "Now hand it over."

"Over my dead body," you snapped.

"That can gladly be arranged."

Jumping down from the tree branch and landing gracefully onto your feet, both you and the dog demon got into fighting stance, glaring at each other. His strength was impressive, but it wasn't enough against the combined power of you and your jewel shard. At one point his friends tried to step in, but your two-tailed cat demons friend, Itsuki, stepped forward and transformed into his full size, growling.

"Please, stop!" pleaded the human girl. "That's enough!"

"Are you crazy?" snapped the dog demon. "We need that jewel shard!"

"So do I," you replied.

"That jewel shard increases her power," the girl pointed out. "It's just like with Kōga; just stop it, Inuyasha. You're going to get yourself killed!"

"What, are you saying we should just let her go then?" the dog demon replied.

"I'm saying that we need to find some other way," the human replied. "We can compromise."

"With a demon that just tried to kill us?" said a woman with a large boomerang. "What makes you think she's willing to compromise, Kagome-chan?"

"She stopped fighting," the human, Kagome, pointed out.

"I see no way that this can end with me handing over this jewel shard," you stated.

"Then there's only one way to settle this," said Inuyasha, adjusting his grip on his sword.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome objected.

"We need to get every jewel shard we can find before Naraku gets his hands on them!" Inuyasha said.

"Naraku?" you echoed.

"You know him?" Kagome asked.

"I'm waiting for him," you explained. You were hesitant to give her any more information, but there was something about her, or perhaps the group in whole, which you trusted. "That's part of why I need this. I want to be here when he comes looking for it."

"Well then, you can come with us!" she proposed.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "No way!"

"No matter who I travel with," you began, "I will find Naraku and make him pay."

"Inuyasha..."

"Damn it," he said, sheathing his sword. "...Fine."

At that moment your eyes met Inuyasha's. There was something in it that stare; in the way that you looked at one another. Understanding; on more than one level. Despite the fact that the two of you were clearly hesitant to trust each other, deep down, you both knew that you could. You knew him, and he knew you.

Since then you've been travelling with Inuyasha and his friends; Inuyasha's strength has greatly increased in the few months that have passed. You've grown to trust Inuyasha and the others, and have warmed up to them quite a bit.

And Inuyasha. Every time your eyes meet, you can see it, and you know that he does, too. You know him even more than when you first met him, and he knows you just as well. Though there's something else, whenever your eyes meet. There's something else you feel, and you wonder if he feels it, too.

It's odd, how the jewel shard you once had gave you the ability to overpower Inuyasha, but now... Inuyasha... this is your greatest weakness.

Abilities: hand-to-hand combat (claws); speed, strength, and agility

What they think of you:

Inuyasha: I trust her.
(Me: That's it?)

Inuyasha: ...

(Me: *sighs* Fine. Keep your emotions all bottled up. Let's see how that works out for ya.)

Kagome: Suzume-chan's a good person. I'm glad that we found another way.

Sango: She's a lot friendlier than when we first met. I guess she's really had a chance to get used to us and open up.

Miroku: She is a very kind woman.

Shippō: She and Itsuki are really nice! I hope everything works out okay with Inuyasha, Kagome and her.

(Me: Why is the kid the only one who picks up on this stuff?)

Kikyō: I see that she's taken to Inuyasha.

Kaede: She was rather brash at first, but she's truly a kind, gentle girl.

Myōga: A kind young woman indeed. I believe I once met her father, in fact.

Kōga: She hangs around Kagome, right? Yeah, I remember her...
(Me: Needless to say, Kōga fully supports Inuyasha and Suzume ending up together.)

Kōga: Kagome is mine.

(Me: *pats head*)

Naraku: Another vengeful half-breed looking for me. I bet she's even weaker than that pathetic father of hers.

Byakuya: Yes, I know of her. Naraku wanted me to keep an eye on her. I suppose he has something up his sleeve.

Kagura: Yeah, I know her. I'm the one who had to steal her jewel shard.

Kanna: Her soul has found the reason which it sought.

Hakudōshi: Two half-demons to crush; that sounds fun.

Akago (baby incarnation of Naraku): Her heart's desires can be used against her.

Mōryōmaru: I can fight both her and Inuyasha at once.

Sesshōmaru: She is a half-breed that follows Inuyasha. That is all I know.

Jaken: I don't know anything about that half-breed!

(Me: You know she's a half-breed.)

Jaken: Silence!