InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 12

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi


Chapter 12



“So, Kagome-sama, you have mastered the art of breakfast soup, I believe,” Miroku said as he walked the wooded path from his house to theirs. “This morning’s breakfast was excellent.”

“We’ll know tomorrow,” she replied, smiling.  “It was easy with Sango there to help me.”

“Keh,” InuYasha said.  He was carrying a covered pot.  It had a stew that Kagome was going to finish at home for their dinner, and Kagome carried a basket with the final ingredients.  Miroku brought up the rear with a box of rice balls.

“And now you have the whole afternoon ahead of you, the whole evening ahead of you, all alone,” the monk said.  “Whatever shall you do?”

InuYasha glared at his friend. “Mind your business, Bouzu.”  

Kagome blushed a little, and touched InuYasha’s arm in a calming way. “Actually, I’d like to decide where the garden should grow,” Kagome said.

“A wise thing.  I’ve already turned ours and planted the early things,” Miroku said.  “Did Sango give you any advice?”

Kagome nodded. “And some seeds to get started. I’m probably going to need lots of advice.  I’ve gardened a little before, but only to raise flowers.”

“You should get some radish and early mustard down as soon as you’re able,” Miroku advised.  “Our early radish are already sprouting. Mustard spinach will do all right now, too, I think.”

Miroku and Kagome continued talking about gardening, but InuYasha moved ahead a little, not paying them much mind. As they neared the little house, his nose began to pick up something though, a scent that didn’t belong.

“Someone’s been here while we were gone,” he said, his voice low and soft, but almost a growl as he  handed the stew pot to Kagome and cautiously moved closer to the building, circling around the grounds.

Miroku pushed ahead of Kagome, just in case, and once again she wished she had a bow.

“Damn,” the hanyou said.  He stopped next to his wood pile, where the neat woodpile had been pulled down and scattered. “That took me a long time to stack.”

“So someone did come by,” Miroku said.

“My nose doesn’t lie,” InuYasha said.  “Don’t think they’re still here, though.  They better not be.”  His hand rested on Tessaiga.

Further around the back, where the futon was stretched out on the clothes line, brown spots marred the fabric.  Someone had tossed dirt clods on it.

“My bed,” Kagome said. She put the pot down, and moved closer to the cloth, and shook it.  Some of the dirt fell off.

“Yeah,” the hanyou replied, resting a hand on her back.  “That’ll wash off.  Glad it wasn’t blood or that they didn’t rip it.”

She nodded.  “You’re right . . . but still it makes me feel . . . ”

“Dirty,” InuYasha said.

She looked up at his face. His eyes were hard and angry, but he pulled her close for a moment, but then let her go.  Chewing her lip, she nodded again.

They finished circling around the building but found nothing else out of place until they got to the front door.

“Wait, InuYasha,” Miroku said, moving in front of him. He ripped a piece of paper off the lintel.

“An ofuda?” Kagome said.

“Not a nice one, if you have youkai blood,” Miroku said, holding the paper by one corner. He frowned as he studied it.

Kagome touched it lightly.  “It doesn’t have any more magic than the ones my grandfather makes. Either the maker didn’t have any spiritual powers, or it was never activated.”

“That is true,” the monk said.  The corner of his mouth turned up, an ironic, but not amused smile.  “It looks like my handwriting, but it’s definitely not charged.  I wonder who put it here?”

“Gimme that,” InuYasha said, putting it to his nose.  “Smells like Joben and that brat of his, Aki. I thought it smelt like that kid as we moved around the house. Someone else was here, too.  But Aki’s  smell is all over this thing.”

“Aki-kun,” Miroku said thoughtfully.  “That makes sense. What we’ve seen looks like the sort of prank a boy would do. Let’s go inside and see if there’s anything else wrong. Let me go first, just in case they left something else behind that’s not so harmless.”

InuYasha, fuming, but knowing enough to not rush in, gave the monk a curt nod. Miroku lifted the bamboo mat.  After a moment, he called out for them to come in.  

The house looked undisturbed.  Kagome put the pot near the fire pit, and laid the basket on the low table.  InuYasha walked around the room sniffing.

“Nobody’s been here but us,” InuYasha said after doing a circuit. Finally, his hand left Tessaiga’s hilt.

“Just the kids were here?” Miroku asked.  He handed his box of food to Kagome who put it with the rest.

InuYasha shrugged.  “Don’t smell any adults outside of the ones I know have been here.”

The monk nodded. “Joben has anti-youkai ofuda all over his house.  His mother put such a fear of them on him when he was young that he covers everything in ofuda and amulets. I decided he was too panicky to give him anything much that really worked. Could be his son had one, and seeing nobody was home, decided to act up here.”  He took the ofuda back from the hanyou, looking at it carefully, as if it held some clue as to what happened.

“Or it could be his father sent him to let us know his true feelings.”  InuYasha clenched his fists, then relaxed just enough to cross his arms and stuff his hands in his sleeves.  “I knew everything was going too well.”

“One unruly boy’s behavior,” Kagome said, tugging on his right arm.  InuYasha let her pull it loose.  She took his fist in her hand. “Boys do things like that sometimes.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he replied, then opened his hand to take hers. “Smelled like they were two of’em though.”

“I’ve heard they’re more likely to misbehave together,” Kagome said.  “That makes sense.”

“Still, I’m going to take this down to Kaede and Tameo, and tell them about it. They’ll want to know,” Miroku said, tucking the ofuda into his sleeve.

“Should we go with you?” Kagome asked.

The monk shook his head. “I know they asked you to stay up here for a few days.  It would probably be better if I went alone.  You being there would remind those people who aren’t necessarily friendly of what’s going on, and if you went storming in, InuYasha, it might cause them to feel frightened.” He smiled sadly.  “You’re pretty intimidating when you’re angry.   People might get the wrong idea. And frightened people do stupid things.”

“Keh.  Don’t have to tell me that,” InuYasha said. His ear twitched at his unhappiness.

The monk clasped his friend’s upper arm. “And if you’re around, nobody’s likely to try anything else.”

“Yeah.” InuYasha sighed, moved back a step from Miroku, and wrapped his arm around Kagome. “The brats left us enough work to do, anyway.” Kagome looked up at him, and gave him a small, encouraging smile.

Miroku headed for the door.  “Just remember, InuYasha, nobody in a village likes everybody.  Just because one family causes you trouble, doesn’t mean you don’t have friends.”

The hanyou nodded, and Miroku left.

“He’s right, you know,” Kagome said.  “Just because people live in the same community doesn’t mean they all like each other.  It just means they live in the same area.”

“Feh,” he said, letting her go.    “Let’s get started. Kid really pissed me off throwing dirt on our bed.  Bet his dad’s having a fit that we’re together. He’s always whispering shit about me, and now I bet he’s saying the same trash about you.”

Kagome grabbed his hand back. “Maybe so, but our revenge on him will be to stay here and be happy.” She tiptoed up and kissed his chin.

His arms wrapped around her one more time as he studied her face.  She had her jaw set in that determined way she got. He knew that look, and having been on the receiving end of it when they didn’t know each other very well, he had a brief flash of pity for anybody who might try to sneak back and cause trouble. He gave her a tentative smile back, and kissed her briefly back.

“Yeah,” he said, then led her out of the house.

Most of the dirt shook off of the futon, and a little cleaning with vinegar and water got the rest.  After that, InuYasha got busy restacking his woodpile.  Chime, Daitaro’s wife, stopped by with her son Shinjiro, bringing a gift of  vegetables.  Chime was a slight, stoop-shouldered woman with a heartwarming smile, and at once made Kagome feel at ease.  Together they went inside and shared a cup of tea while the men talked by the woodpile. After the visit, Kagome discovered InuYasha had relaxed considerably.

At midday, InuYasha came in and they sat and ate their lunch of onigiri and pickles.

“You’re right, you know,” he said, after finishing his first rice ball.

Kagome looked up from her plate.  “I’m right about what?”

“What the best revenge is.  Some people will always hate me because of who I am. But I have friends.  There are people who want us to succeed. Shinjiro and I were talking about how to keep an eye on people who wander on this side of the village.  He and his dad have had trouble with kids messing things up, too.” He grabbed a pickle slice from her plate. She tried to slap his hand, but he was too quick, and he popped it into his mouth and gave her a victorious, silly grin.  

“Yes there are people who want us to succeed, and bratty boys who make us unhappy, both,” she replied. “And there are pickle thieves, too.”

“Yours taste better,” he said, picking up another rice ball.

She rolled her eyes, and finished her lunch.