InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Family Tragicaly Reunited. ❯ One-Shot

A Family Tragically Reunited

By Zabe Yasha Phillips

A girl stepped out of the night and into the clearing in the woods. Her hair was matted with sweat and blood, hanging in grimy ebony clumps about her face. She wore an indigo kimono, which was soaked crimson, on one side, with blood. One hand covered the base of the gushing wound, the ruby liquid spilling from in between her fingers. A katana was worn at her side, and she walked bare-foot. Her breathing was shallow and ragged. The hand not gripping her side was bracing herself up against a tree as her eyes, dulled from loss of blood, shimmied over the sight of the warm fire, crackling, dancing, and popping.

Inu Yasha jumped up, his ears pricked, and ran over to her, grabbing her elbow to steady her just as she began to topple over. She groaned as he drug her into the camp, her head lolling to one side then snapping back up to attention.

"Are you alright?" Inu Yasha inquired of her, his demon yellow firey eyes, so much like the campfire's flame, warm and comforting, searched her face.

She shook her head and groaned again, leaning against a nearby tree and collapsed. Inu Yasha's sensitive nose was filled with the metallic, tangy scent of blood, as he knelt by her and helped her into a more comfortable position.

"I-I don't know what to do," he stammered, completely thrown. The gaping wound in her side, continued to spill her blood all over the leaves on the ground, like water bursting from an opened dam.

The girl gritted her teeth and spoke in a strained, shaky voice, "Water…boil some…water," she gasped out the last words.

Inu Yasha nodded and scrambled off to get some water. Meanwhile, the girl squirmed out of the top half of her kimono, and pulled her white, blood soaked, shirt up away from the wound tying it directly under her chest. Shaking the blood that had gathered on her hand off, she pulled the waist line of her kimono pants down and closed her eyes, breathing easier, and leaned her head back against the tree.

A small boy came out of the woods into the camp, humming, but stopped dead cold when he saw the girl.

"Holy Fox Fire!" he yelped and rushed over to her, "What happened to you?!"

The girl smiled weakly at him, "Shiko got me stabbed."

"Shiko?" the boy asked confused.

"My demon half," she smiled half heartedly at him again, "but don't worry about anything, Inu Yasha is getting some stuff for me. I'm Kiri by the way."

"Shippou," he smiled, "But, how do you know Inu Yasha's name? I would have thought he'd have left in a hurry."

Kiri shrugged, "He did, but it was probably just a lucky guess."

At that moment, Inu Yasha, ran back in with buckets of water, and put one on the fire to boil. Then, he hustled back over to Kiri and knelt by her.

"Are you ok?" he asked again, not noticing Shippou's presence.

Kiri smiled and nodded weakly, "I'll be fine."

"What happened to you any way?"

"Shiko got her stabbed," Shippou piped up.

Inu Yasha blinked at him, "Shiko?" he looked back at Kiri.

"Kiri's demon half," Shippou chimed in again.

Inu Yasha's eyes studied her again, "You're a half demon?"

Kiri nodded, "That I am."

Inu Yasha looked closer at Kiri and sniffed her, "You don't look like a half demon."

Kiri smiled weakly at him again, "That's because I'm in my human form."

"Oh."

Shippou raced over to the fire and grabbed the boiling water, carrying it back over to Kiri and Inu Yasha. Kiri dipped a piece of her shirt she had ripped off into the boiling water and began to clean the wound, wincing at each touch. Inu Yasha watched her carefully, his ears twitching nervously. Suddenly, a rustling was heard off to their left. A dark haired boy dressed in monk's clothing, and a strong-looking girl stepped into the clearing. The girl saw Kiri first. She gasped and grabbed the boy's arm.

"Miroku! Look!"

The boy blinked, confused.

"Sango? What the devil? What's wrong with- oh!" he gasped as well when he saw Kiri, and her gaping wound. He looked it over quickly, "I can fix that. Inu," he jerked a finger, "come with me. You can explain what you did to her on the way," he laughed tightly, "Sango, you come, too."

The girl immediately sped off after Miroku into the woods. Inu Yasha looked down at Kiri.

"Hold on. I'll be back soon," he whispered to her and disappeared off into the woods after Sango and Miroku.

Kiri looked at Shippou and smiled, "Looks like it's just me and you, kid"

Shippou laughed.

There was another rustling off to their right, and a fire-oni, known as Zinyao, stepped out. Fire-onis are a pesky breed of demons, but he was one of the worst, drawn to fire and heat. When around a flame, their powers grew to astronomical amounts. Shippou stiffened to Kiri, and ran out in front of Zinyao.

"Shoo! Be gone!" he waved his hands at it in shooing motions.

Zinyao laughed at him, a dry, rather unpleasant sound, and performed a lightning-fast spin-kick, just missing Shippou's head.

"Hey!"

Zinyao whirled around, searching for the one who called out. His eyes landed on Kiri, and her palm aimed at him, her face hard-set.

"Care to try that again on me?" she asked coldly, "I may be weak, but I'm not powerless."

Zinyao grinned sadistically, his smarmy face crinkling. He charged straight at her, just as she let an energy blast out at him, hitting him in his stomach, making him crumple to the ground. He got back up, just as Shippou shot a stream of fox fire at him. Zinyao dodged it quickly and shot off an energy blast and Kiri, hitting her wounded side, making her cry out with an unearthly scream of pain.

A horrific cry of rage rang out through the forest as Inu Yasha came flying in, while pain over took Kiri's body. Inu Yasha punched Zinyao square in the jaw and pummeled him repeatedly. Finally, he slashed out at him with a lethal swipe of his claws, finishing him off instantly.

Miroku and Sango had run over to Kiri, meanwhile, as she writhed in pain. Inu Yasha dropped to his knees beside her and the others, his gaze flickering over her lengthened wound.

Miroku's eyes widened at the sight as Kiri began to shiver. "I-I hope I got enough herbs for this…" he stammered.

He smeared the paste over his hands and ordered Sango to go fetch a blanket and some pillows.

"Now hold still," he spoke softly to Kiri, and began to carefully apply the ointment to the gash. Kiri winced and whimpered at the sting of the pain. Inu Yasha's ears lowered and he looked at Kiri. He smiled reassuringly at her. Miroku applied the last of the medicine to the most painful part of the wound, making her cry out sharply in pain. Inu Yasha's ears flattened against his skull and he looked sharply at Miroku.

"Careful!" he snapped.

Miroku simply grunted in reply. He began bandaging the wound, "Now, leave that on there for a day, if that, but be careful."

Kiri nodded a thin sheen of tears filming over her eyes. Inu Yasha sat beside her and looked at the bandaging job Miroku did. Finally, he nodded, satisfied, but all of a sudden Kiri let out a cry of pain, making everyone jump. Her black hair faded to a lustrous silver still matted with grime and blood. Her nails lengthened into claws and her fangs grew protruding over her bottom lip.

Inu Yasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippou all watched in fascination.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's alright," Inu Yasha told her softly, "It's not like I've never done it before."

Kiri laughed softly and stood up walking over to the flame and putting the other water pail on to boil, "Anyone hungry?"

Every one laughed and nodded slightly and Sango put the blanket and pillows down on the ground near her, "Are you sure you should be doing that?"

Kiri laughed, "Pssht I'm fine now, thanks to the magickal doctoring workings of the grand Miroku and Inu Yasha, and there beautiful assistant Sango."

Sango blushed and turned away as Kiri began to pull a various number of vegetables and cut them up putting them in the pot to boil. She finished and stood up.

"I'll be right back." She said and tramped off to find a stream. Finally, stumbling upon one she stripped out of her clothes and stepped in, still carrying them. She scrubbed as much of the blood stains as she could out and wrung them out, spreading them out on a rock to dry off. She picked up some sand from the bottom of the streambed and began to scrub the grime and filth off of her skin. Washing her hair out with a vial of something she pulled out of her kimono pants she smiled as the cool water washed over her body. She rinsed the rest out of her hair and swam around a little bit before pulling herself out of the water and onto a rock to dry her self off.

A noise back at the camp made her ears prick and she threw on her clothes, still slightly damp and ran back to camp at top speed, sprinting between the trees. She rushed back into the camp to see another half demon, looking a lot like Inu Yasha, pointing an arrow straight at his forehead.

"Give me the Tetsaiga," the girl growled.

Kiri looked from Inu Yasha to the girl and back again, "What's going on?"

"Nothing of your concern," the girl snapped, "Now give me the Tetsaiga."

"Why do you want it?" Inu Yasha asked inquiringly.

"I just want to see it. Now give it here!" she barked.

"Alright, but I want it back …" Inu Yasha unsheathed the tetsaiga and handed it to the girl, who jammed it into her quiver of arrows like a sheath.

"Right."

Miroku and Sango got up, as did Shippou, "We are gonna go look around a little bit more."

Inu Yasha nodded to them, and then turned back to the girl, "Who are you anyway."

"My name is Kai Yasha Higurashi, and I am your daughter," she huffed, "Glad you recognized me."

Inu Yasha's eyes widened, "You're Kai?" he gaped.

Kai nodded and sighed. Inu Yasha plopped down on the ground and looked around as the fire crackled noisily. He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Sitting down in the firelight they began to catch up on old times, causing Kiri to smile.

Kiri looked around and started to clean up the food she made putting the dishes away so she could clean them later and putting the left over food into a small container. She sighed and looked around again looking over to Inu Yasha and Kai Yasha seeing they had fallen asleep in the time that had passed. Taking her cue from them, she lay down and fell asleep, also.

A short time later a small rustling awoke her, making her sit straight up and look around with very alert eyes. They fell upon a small wolf caught in some thorns, off to the right of the camp. She stood and stepped through the brambles, and reached down to free it. She smiled as it growled playfully at her and danced around her feet.

Meanwhile, Inu Yasha had awoken and had made a decision. He was going to find Kagome. But as he looked around he noticed Kiri was gone. For some odd reason it made his chest tighten. Then, he spotted her off in the woods playing with what looked like to be a wolf.

"Kiri?"

Kiri jumped at the sound of her name and turned around to see Inu Yasha, her eyes saddening as the wolf ran off.

"Yes, Inu Yasha?"

"…Don't... don't leave… ok?"

She smiled at him and sighed, "I wont… for now…"

Inu Yasha frowned at the last part but shook his head slightly, "Kai and I were thinking of going on a trip, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with."

Kiri laughed softly and smiled, "What kind of a trip?"

Inu Yasha smiled and spoke softly and mysteriously, "A fun one."

"Ok sounds good to me."

Inu Yasha reached down and shook Kai, causing her to grunt and roll over.

"Whaaaaat?" she groaned.

"Let's go," Inu Yasha smiled down at her.

She groaned and rolled over, "Give me five minutes…"

Inu Yasha laughed scooping her up and put her on his back, draping her arms over his shoulders.

Kiri blinked, "uhhh… nice back pack."

Inu Yasha smiled, "She's tired. She needs a little more sleep."

Kiri just shook her head and looked at the snoring Kai on his back, "You are going to spoil her…"

Inu Yasha smiled, "I hope so, let's go."

They started off tramping through the woods, and a little while later Kai woke up and hopped down, walking on her own. Suddenly she got a wicked look on her face.

"SIT!" she yelped.

Inu Yasha's eyes widened and his ears flattened against his skull waiting for the impact of the ground…then opened his eyes.

"Heh oh yea…it's gone…" Inu Yasha looked at them both sheepishly.

Kai smiled in that same satanic fashion again and looked at him, "Bring back old memories?"

Inu Yasha smiled and nodded a faraway look in his eyes, "Yea…"

Kai looked off into the woods a sad look coming over her face, "I heard mom used to do that to you all the time…"

Kiri laughed and shook her head, "I did not!"

Both Inu Yasha and Kai looked at her bewildered. Kiri, catching her mistake blushed and turned to face the woods again. Kai shook her head letting it go and sighed.

"I really miss her…"

Inu Yasha nodded, "Me too."

Kiri simply looked up at Inu Yasha in shock then looked back down hiding her face. Suddenly they came into the clearing where the old bone eaters well was. Kiri stopped dead her eyes wide.

"Why are we here?" She asked suspiciously.

Inu Yasha blinked and looked at her, "We are going to find Kai's mother, Kagome."

Kiri shook her head, "I-I can't go any further."

Inu Yasha's eyes deepened, pleading with her, "Please come."

Kai saw this and stiffened her shoulders, "Humph, she doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to," and flung herself down into the well.

A hurt look crossed her face and Kiri looked away. "…alright. I'll come."

Inu Yasha smiled and grabbed her hand, jumping into the well after Kai. They hit the other side with a thump and climbed up out of the well. Kai looked down at their interlocked hands and growled. She whirled around and started for the door.

"We can start by asking my grandmother," she huffed.

Kiri's eyes widened and she shook her head grabbing Kai, "Your mother isn't in there! You mustn't say anything to her mother about yourself or her. It will only cause the old woman pain," tears had pooled in her eyes taking on a silver shine.

Inu Yasha eyed her warily, "How do you know that? Do you know Kagome?"

Kiri jumped at the thought and looked down, "You could say that."

Kai narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, "I keep getting the faint distinction that YOU are Kagome, but that's not possible."

Kiri looked up at Kai and shook her head, "You are right. I couldn't be Kagome. Because Kagome is dead."

Inu Yasha's face took on a stricken quality and screwed up in pain, "That can't be!"

Kai's eyebrows shot up on her forehead and her eyes widen, "How do you know?"

Kiri looked down again, "I just do."

Kai looked at her suspiciously, "How did she die?"

Kiri sighed, "It's not that she is dead more as, she no longer exists."

Inu Yasha eyed her and spoke harshly, "Explain."

Kiri continued to look down and began her story, " About 16 years ago, Kagome crossed this well into feudal times, and was on her way to Kaede's hut, because with her, she carried her child," at this she looked up at Kai, "Her child, she had named Kai Yasha Higurashi. But it so happened, that Sesshou Maru found her first. Carrying a child, there was little she could do to fight back, so as a result, she was fatally wounded. Too late did Sesshou Maru realize his mistake in that if he killed her he killed her child, and any chance he had at getting back the Tetsaiga. So, he summoned a witch to save her. Knowing what Sesshou Maru intended to do she went to Kaede, and once she had given birth to her child, gave it to her to raise in secret. But Kaede knew not how to save Kagome and Kagome no longer exists as result of it."

Inu Yasha's eyes seemed to dawn with understanding where as Kai stood there fuming furiously, "So why didn't Inu Yasha come and save her before she died? And why couldn't he find her by scent?"

Inu Yasha spoke softly looking at Kiri in wonder, "Because Kagome was no longer in the form I would recognize her as."

Kai huffed, "So she died."

Inu Yasha shook his head, fully understanding what must have gone on all those years ago, "Kagome isn't dead. She is still alive today."

But Kiri shook her head, "Kagome isn't exactly dead, she just no longer exists as herself."

Inu Yasha stepped forward and slipped a hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him, "You are wrong. You are still Kagome," he spoke softly to her his eyes filled with love.

Kai looked between the two, "NO! YOU ARE WRONG! SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER!" and she fled jumping down into the well.

Kiri looked at the well sadly, "I didn't know what else to do, Inu Yasha. I wanted her to grow up safe, but I also wanted her to know her father. And the only way I knew how to do that was to leave her with Kaede."

Inu Yasha nodded, "You did the right thing. She will come to realize this as she grows older." He smoothed her hair away from her face, "I've missed you so much…my Kagome," and he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

The kiss that she hadn't experienced in such a long time shook awake feelings she never would have thought were still alive in her, causing tears to run down her cheeks. Then, there, outside the building that was once called her home, She transformed into her full human form, her form when she was known as Kagome, not looking to have aged a day older then she had 16 years ago, although now, heavens knows she should be a good 32 years old. Inu Yasha pulled back to look at her and ran his hand along her face and they sat there like that for a while, just simply looking at each other.

"You better go after her. Gods, if she has your temper, who knows what she will do?" Kiri looked at him and managed a smile, "But before you go, I just wanted to say, I love you."

Inu Yasha looked at her sadly, "I love you too, my Kagome," and with that he turned and jumped down into the well, landing on the other side with a thump. He jumped up out of it and called out for Kai, searching for her. All of a sudden, tetsaiga flew right by his head and stabbed into a tree. Inu Yasha jumped in the slightest amount and looked where his head had been not a moment before.

"Well, well, I must say that your aim is much better than your mother's was. She couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if she tried." He chuckled slightly.

Kai screamed furiously from out of the shadows, "SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER!"

Inu Yasha sighed and bowed his head, "Kai you don't understand, she transformed back into Kagome right after you left. If only you had stayed a bit longer you would have just seen-"

"Seen what?! You betray my mother by kissing that wench? No thank you I think ill pass."

Kiri jumped out of the well just in time to hear this and just in time to shove Inu Yasha out of the way as an arrow made a bee line for his head.

"KAI! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kiri screamed out to her daughter.

Another arrow came flying at them and the only way she could block Inu Yasha from being pierced by it was to step in its way herself. So this she did and was hit straight in the heart with it. She was bound to the tree behind her, as she looked out with sad eyes to Inu Yasha.

"I'm sorry, Inu Yasha. Please take care of her," she sighed and bowed her head.

"KAGOME, NO!!!" Inu Yasha screamed and rushed forward to her as Kai raced off to the old tree by the well, "Kagome, don't leave me again!" he wailed and yanked out the arrow from her chest. Kiri crumpled from the tree and into his arms. She looked up at him and smiled softly her face etched with pain the bleeding in her side picking up again. All of a sudden a scream was heard through out the forest as Kai drove her sword straight through her chest.

"I won't. Go to Kai," she reached into her bag and pulled out a vial of silver liquid, "give this to her it will revive her."

She coughed and sat back against the tree, "I love you Inu Yasha."

"I love you to, my Kagome."

Inu Yasha stood and ran after Kai, kneeling beside her body and tipping the contents of the vial into her mouth making her swallow. Kai sputtered and sat up choking on it, the silver liquid coating her lips. Kai looked up at Inu Yasha and glowered.

"Why did you revive me?!" she screamed at him. Suddenly she calmed down and glared at him softly. "You have a choice. Either I die, or she does."

Inu Yasha's eyes widened in horror at the thought of having to make that decision, and looked down at her, "I can't choose between you two!"

Kiri, hearing this ultimatum grabbed the tetsaiga out of the tree and spoke softly but loud enough where the two demons could hear her through out the forest, "Let my daughter live," and plunged the tetsaiga deep through her chest. He blood again spilled over the leaves, and her heart stopped beating.

Inu Yasha's eyes teared up in pain of losing Kagome yet again and he bowed his head.

Kai, finally seeing her father's true distress, knew this could only come from having lost the one he truly loved. She picked up the vial which he had given her, "Go and revive her. I didn't drink all of it. It's horrible."

Inu Yasha looked up at her in amazement that she could change her mind so fast, "But-"

"But nothing. Quit moping and get going!"

Inu Yasha threw Kai one grateful glance, and they race off to Kiri, whose body had transformed back into Shiko. Kai yanked the tetsaiga out of her chest and Inu Yasha knelt pouring the liquid down her throat. A strange wind started to blow, and leaves picked up around them, as Shiko transformed into Kagome, fully and completely and she opened her eyes as the wound on her chest closed. Her eyes were no longer silver, but the same gentle shade of brown as they were all those years ago. Kagome blinked up at Inu Yasha and Kai.

"What…" her eyes took on a deep understanding and a soft smile spread across her face. She threw her arms around first Inu Yasha, then Kai, and then both. She looked up at them both, "Do you think we can live together peacefully, like we should have 16 years ago?"

Inu Yasha and Kagome both looked at Kai, who smiled and looked at them, "I think we can try."