InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 500 Year Engagement ❯ The 500 Year Engagement - Reunions ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The 500-Year Engagement - Reunions
By Majicman55
 
Disclaimer: The characters from InuYasha” are not mine; they are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not benefit financially from these writings. I just like to play with the characters.
 
 
InuYasha, Miroku, Kagome and Sango all remained inside the well house, sitting on the steps that led up from the well itself. Kagome, still not quite believing what had happened, held Sango's hand as if she were afraid the taijiya would disappear should she let go.
 
The monk sat half-turned, so he could peer out through the open door. “So this is, indeed, Kagome's world.”
 
“Keh.” The hanyou had barely managed to resist the temptation to bear-hug Miroku the way Kagome had done Sango. He rationalized that such an action would be so far out of character that it might actually frighten the monk…and he could appreciate that Miroku and Sango didn't really need any more shocks to deal with right now.
 
Kagome looked at Miroku. “But how…?”
 
“…did we get here?” the monk finished for her.
 
“I followed him,” said Sango, “and Kirara followed me.”
 
“Feh! Kagome wants to know how you two got through the well. We tried over and over again, but never could.”
 
“So how are you…?” Miroku's voice trailed off. “InuYasha, you said the two of you got here `the hard way.' I can understand how you could still be alive after 500 years.” The monk turned to Kagome. “Pardon me for asking this, Kagome, but how can you be here?”
 
Kagome pulled the top of her robe open a little and then pulled her hair back…just enough to expose her Kanji marking.
 
“I see.”
 
Sango examined Kagome's mark. “So you finally got him.”
 
“Shh!”
 
“Oi, What was that?”
 
Miroku sensed it was a good time for a distraction. “InuYasha! You dog, you. When did this happen?”
 
“About a week after you disappeared.” InuYasha turned somber. “You saw how she was when she found out she couldn't go through the well to see her family. You saw how bad that affected her. Then you guys were just…gone. She cried for a week. I couldn't take it.”
 
“InuYasha finally told me he loved me.” Kagome was grinning ear-to-ear. “We became mates that night.”
 
InuYasha blushed. It didn't helpe that Kagome's scent was getting stronger as she remembered their first time. He shifted so that the others couldn't see how his body was responding. “I knew that humans who mated with youkai gained long life, but I didn't know if it would work with a hanyou. I guess now she'll live as long as I do.”
 
InuYasha groaned inwardly. The mental communication he shared with Kagome had a tendency to kick in automatically when either of them was experiencing strong emotions about the other…and he suddenly got a mental image of himself as Kagome remembered him approaching her that first time. “Feh! I'm not THAT big.”
 
“Oh yes you are. I couldn't walk right for a WEEK.”
 
Miroku noticed the Inuyasha's coloration and elbowed him in the ribs. “You can fill me in on the details later, my friend.”
 
“Huh? I will not.”
 
Miroku realized that InuYasha was keeping his head turned so the girls couldn't see…and had winked at him (good, he'd get the juicy details later), but then both of them turned when the pause in their conversation allowed them to hear Sango whispering furiously into Kagome's ear.
 
Kagome grinned and drew back, although she was still keeping her voice down. “Oh. Bigger.”
 
Sango's eyes were as big as saucers. “Bigger?”
 
Kagome stretched her hands apart.
 
“Oi! What the hell are you two talking about?” The poor hanyou was really turning red now.
 
Kagome realized, with a start, that InuYasha and Miroku were no longer completely absorbed in their own conversation. “It's a `girl thing,'” she giggled.
 
“I believe I know what they're talking about, InuYasha.”
Kagome frowned, leaned close to Sango and whispered into her ear.
 
The taijiya looked at the monk…and then held out one hand, her thumb and forefinger held close together.
 
The monk turned bright red. Everybody laughed.
 
Even InuYasha got it.
 
 
******************
 
 
“Oi…monk…stop sulking.”
 
“It was not your manhood that was questioned, InuYasha.”
 
Kagome and Sango had finally recovered from their spate of giggling and Kagome was still curious about the circumstances of her friends' appearance. “But how did you get through the well?”
 
Miroku gave InuYasha a sour look and turned to face Kagome. “I knew you were heartbroken about not being able to see your family and, of course, we didn't know you'd be this remarkably long-lived.”
 
“We didn't know, either. Not till later.”
 
“…so I determined to find out if the well might be reopened. Sango and Kirara came with me…which turned out to be critical.”
 
“It was Hiraikotsu.” said Sango. “At least that's what Miroku thinks.”
 
“The spirits of the youkai inside Hiraikotsu, to be specific. As you know, Sango's weapon is made from the bones of powerful youkai, and the well was used to dispose of the remains of youkai.”
 
“That's right,” agreed Kagome. “The bones would be thrown in, and later they'd be gone.”
 
“Exactly,” answered the monk. “I believed that it was possible that the well got its energy, or at least some of the energy that allowed Kagome to travel between our times, from that. After we defeated Naraku, there weren't as many youkai around, but there were some.
 
Fortunately, Sango had just slain a youkai that had been tormenting a nearby village…and we threw its remains into the well. The next day I climbed down in and meditated. I was able to feel the power.”
 
“Keh! Why didn't you just tell us?”
 
Miroku held up one hand. “It wasn't enough to open the well. But then I made my critical mistake.” The monk glanced towards the taijiya. “I asked Sango to climb down and bring Hiraikotsu.”
 
“A moment after I got down beside Miroku, we started to sink.”
 
InuYasha and Kagome looked at Sango.
 
“We were slowly sinking into the ground.” Sango looked down at the fire neko, who was asleep in her lap. “Then Kirara, hearing me cry out, jumped into the well and landed on both of us. There was a sensation of `passing through' - that's the only way I can describe it.”
 
The monk continued the story. “We tumbled together for a moment, and then seemed to find our orientation…it was like we were flying.”
 
“Poor Kirara had changed back into her kitten form. She seemed totally drained. I was so frightened that we'd drift apart.”
 
“But we didn't…although it seemed like we were in there for hours.”
 
“It never seemed that long to me,” said Kagome.
 
The monk seemed a little distracted. “Nevertheless, it seemed like hours to us…and the lovely Sango became worried we'd drift apart. My duty as a monk was clear. I had to comfort her.”
 
The taijiya scowled. “The pervert groped me the whole time.”
 
InuYasha had an odd look on his face. He sniffed the air over the monk, and then over Sango. “If you found it so objectionable, why do you both smell like sex?”
 
“I…I…I….uhhh.”
 
Miroku nodded sagely. “Comfort takes many forms, my friend.”
 
<SLAPPP>
 
Kagome looked at Miroku, who was sprawled out on the steps. “Somehow, I've missed this.”
 
******************
 
 
“Awake, bouzu?”
 
“Huh? What?” Miroku shook his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. It worked, but he found he had traded the cobwebs for a pounding headache. “How long?”
 
“Not too long. Sango must be slipping.” InuYasha glanced towards the girls. “Kagome has been talking to her so she doesn't panic when we go into the house. She said I should talk with you.”
 
“I am a man of the world, InuYasha. I have battled demons by your side. I can handle a few changes.”
 
“It ain't a few.” The hanyou pointed to the light that hung above them. “That's just one of thousands.”
 
“Yet you seem to handle it well enough.”
 
“Feh. I didn't come through the well, remember? I'm used to all this.”
 
Miroku rubbed his still-aching head. “And Kagome's looked like that the whole time? For five hundred years?”
 
“Yeah. So?”
 
“You lucky dog.”
 
“I ain't no dog!”
 
“Be that as it may, this brings up an interesting question…considering that you and Kagome have been…together…for so many years.”
 
“And what's that?”
 
“Children.”
 
InuYasha had been half leaning over the sitting monk. Now he straightened up. “You mean…pups?”
 
“Pups. How quaint.” The monk noticed the hanyou didn't seem amused by his flippancy. “Surely, you two have had…pups.”
 
“Two hundred and thirty-three, to be exact.”
 
“Two hundred and…” Miroku pointed at Kagome. “You can't tell me she's had two hundred and thirty-three children!”
 
Kagome looked up at the outburst. “InuYasha is perfectly correct.”
 
“Where are they?” asked Sango.
 
Kagome sighed. “They're…around.”
 
“Keh. It's been five hundred years. Kagome knows more about how this works than I do, but our kids were born as anything from almost human to practically full youkai. Some of our pups could live as long as we will. Most…won't.” InuYasha locked gazes with his mate. “It's just something we have to live with.”
 
Miroku thought for a long moment before turning to Kagome. “If there is one person I know who would be a wonderful mother, it's you, Lady Kagome. And as much as I worry about InuYasha…”
 
“Oi! Watch it, monk!”
 
“I am sure that both of you loved all your kids and raised them well.”
 
“Damn right!”
 
“InuYasha!” Kagome settled back.
 
Miroku continued. “After that, all we can do is to allow our children to live free according to their natures.”
 
“Kagome is a wonderful mother.”
 
“InuYasha…thank you.”
 
“Miroku, and InuYasa, are right, Kagome. I just wish that I could be as good a mother as I'm sure you are.”
 
“Keh. You might get a chance to find out.”
 
“Huh?” Sango looked from Kagome to InuYasha.
 
“You're in heat.”
 
“WHAT?”
 
Kagome giggled. “According to InuYasha, a woman's scent changes when she's fertile.”
 
“Feh. Of course, if your indignation wasn't all for show, and you didn't really let the bouzu have his way with you when you were on your way here, then you have nothing to worry about.”
 
Miroku broke the ensuing silence. “Look at that. It's getting light, outside. A new day is coming.”
 
 
******************
 
 
InuYasha left the well house and went inside first. They had talked a little while longer…until Kagome could see that Mama had gotten up and was puttering around in the kitchen. InuYasha went to tell Mama Higurashi about Miroku and Sango.
 
Fortunately, everyone in Kagome's family was used to the unusual, as indicated by Mama's response: she put on more water for tea.
 
“Well, invite them in, InuYasha. It's rude to make them wait outside.”
 
So InuYasha went back out to the well house and soon everyone was trouping back to the house.
 
Thanks to Kagome's and InuYasha's briefings, the two new arrivals were more curious than anything. How did they get the water into the house? How did the inside cooking fire work?
 
There was one difficult moment when the toaster startled the taijiya. Fortunately, InuYasha prevented Sango from drawing her katana.
 
“It's just toast.” Inuyasha buttered a piece and handed it to Sango. While the girl studied it, he opened a jar of jelly. “Hold it here.” He put a little of the purple stuff on the toast. “Now try it.”
 
The taijiya took the barest nibble, and smiled. “It's good.”
 
“What kind of tea would you like, Miroku?” asked Mama, introductions having been handled earlier.
 
“There is more than one kind?”
 
“Here, this is Earl Grey tea.” Mama handed the monk a tea bag.
 
The monk held the tea bag up by its string, allowing it to turn as he studied it. “But what do I do with it?”
 
“Oh. Here.” Mama poured hot water from the kettle into the cup before Miroku. “Put the tea bag into the water.”
 
Miroku did, and color began spreading out from the bag. “I see.”
 
Kagome smiled. “By putting the tea in small bags, everyone can choose their favorite.”
 
“What a wondrous idea.”
 
“Miss?”
 
Sango looked up to find Kagome's brother standing beside her.
 
“Your cat has two tails.”
 
“Kirara is a fire neko. Like Kitsunes, they grow additional tails that indicate their age and experience.”
 
There was a growling from the floor.
 
Everyone looked to the source, which turned out to be Kirara squaring off with Buyo over the latter's food dish. Smoke was beginning to come from Kirara's paws.
 
“Kirara! No!”
 
The smoke stopped and Kirara looked up at Sango.
 
“That's Kagome's cat…and, besides, it's too small in here.”
 
Mama Higurashi got a saucer, opened another can of cat food and set it down so that Buyo and Kirara each had their own. “What do you mean, dear, `too small?'”
 
Sango sipped her own tea. “Kirara's pretty big in her other form.”
 
Mama looked again at the fire neko. “Oh.”
 
“Don't worry. I'll tell her not to transform inside your house.”
 
“You mean you'll train her not to.”
 
“No, tell her.”
 
“She understands you?”
 
“Sure.”
 
Mama Higurashi looked at Kirara, who looked back. There was real intelligence in those eyes. “Oh my. What does she turn into?”
 
Kagome finished a sip of tea. “Think saber toothed tiger, Mama.”
 
 
******************
 
 
Breakfast was long over and Kagome was getting ready to go to school. She was tired, but she wasn't about to start missing school again now. Besides, it was Friday, and she could sleep in tomorrow.
 
“Kagome?”
 
“Yes, Mama?”
 
“Your friends. You haven't said how long they're staying.”
 
“I only have a few minutes to get going, Mama.” Kagome sighed. “I really don't know. I don't think they can get back through the well.”
 
“But what about you and InuYasha?”
 
“Damnit. I haven't told her yet and now she's suspicious.” Kagome pulled on her backpack. “We'll talk about it over dinner.”
 
“But aren't you going to that dance with Hojo, tonight?” Mama looked thoughtful. “Although I can't imagine InuYasha is too happy.”
 
“How could I have forgotten about THAT? You're right, Mama. I'll figure something out. Tell Miroku and Sango not to leave the shrine.”
 
“Okay.”
 
“Thanks, Mama! You're the best! Kagome turned, pulled the door open, and goggled. “Mi-Midori?”
 
There in the doorway stood a young girl who, except for her white hair, looked exactly like Kagome. “Hi, Mom!”
 
 
 
A/N: Uh-oh. Looks like the cat's out of the bag…and I don't mean Kirara. What about Miroku and Sango? How will they adjust to all this? Is Kagome right that they can't get back? And what about Kagome's “date?” More confusion to come!
 
As always, please read and review. Thanks! Oh, and again, more reviews = more inspiration for new chapters.