InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 66

[ 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 66

Three people walked down the main street of the village, a boy of about ten or twelve, looking rather battered and who walked with a limping stride, a woman who rested her hand lightly on his shoulder, old enough to be his mother, looking drawn and worried, and an elderly woman, dressed in the red and white clothing of a miko.

The boy stumbled a bit over a rock on the road and groaned as he caught himself.  The miko stopped, and gave the boy a careful look with her one eye, studying his eyes and color.

“Are you sure about this, Isao?” she asked.  “You got a nasty bump on the head this morning.  You don’t have to face Tameo-sama and Daitaro now, if you’re not ready. They would listen to me if you decided to go home and rest a few days until you feel better.” She frowned. “As it is, after they talk with you, I think I will send you home anyway before you do whatever it is they decide.”

The boy took a deep breath, gathering his determination. “I’m sure, Kaede-sama,”  the boy said.  His eyes looked down at his hands, and his mother Amaya, wrapped an arm around him. “I . . . I did what . . . Well, I have to face it like a man.”

“You're a good boy, Isao.” Kaede gave him a reassuring smile. “I will be sure to tell Tameo-sama and the elders how you decided to behave about this.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “How's your head?”

He looked up at her, a sad, embarrassed look on his face. There was a darkening bruise on his forehead, and another under his left eye, and a scratch on his cheek, and his lip was swollen where it had split a bit when he tripped and fell. “It hurts,” he said.  “But I can bear it.”

“We could stop at my house and I could make you some tea for the pain,” she offered.

“Maybe later, Miko-sama.” He looked back up at her.  “Your medicine would make me sleepy, right?”

“I'm afraid so,” Kaede said, nodding.

“Then I'll see the elders first, with a clear head.  That way, I can let them see how serious I am about making things right.” He gave her the tiniest smile. “The pain, it reminds me of how foolish I was to listen to Aki.”

Amaya smiled at the boy.  “Your grandfather would be proud of you, Isao-kun, for not trying to run away.”

“Ojiisan would have been disappointed in why I had to though,” the boy said.

“It’s been my experience that all young people do their share of stupid things,” Kaede said, “even your ojiisan. It’s what they do afterwards that matters most.”

Isao gave a small nod as they continued on.

As they neared the gate to Tameo’s compound, they could hear the sounds of a woman yelling, and a man calling back.

“That’s odd,” Kaede said, frowning.  “Someone’s fighting at Tameo-sama’s house? That doesn’t happen often.”

A look of recognition lit up Amaya’s face, and she frowned. “It sounds like Haname,” she said.  “But what’s she doing here?  I thought she was supposed to go home.”

“So did I.  Maybe we better hurry and see what’s going on.”  Kaede quickened her pace.

They walked through the gate.  Isao looked anxiously at his mother. “Why is she here?” Isao whispered.  “I know she thinks everything Aki does wrong is my fault.” He sighed.  “It’s going to be hard enough to face the elders without facing her, too.”

Amaya hugged her son.  “I don’t know, son, but I’m sure that what the elders think will matter more.  Don’t let her frighten you.”

“I guess,” said Isao, although his voice sounded unsure.

Their attention shifted as Kaede made a sudden stop. “What has gotten into that woman?” she asked, pointing.  They watched  Haname break away from Susumu who had been holding her by the arm.  The enraged woman ran up to Emi, Hisa and Kagome, standing in front of Kinjiro’s house.

“This doesn't look good,” Amaya said.  “Miko-sama, Obasan has done nothing but say bad things about Kagome-sama working with you since she heard the news.” She shook her head. “I know she’s never been comfortable about InuYasha-sama being here, but lately . . . it’s been worse that ever.”

Kaede said. “She really seems much  more angry and focused on InuYasha and Kagome  than I would have expected.  I wonder . . . ”

As they watched, Haname pointed and yelled at Kagome.

“Where’s Joben?” Isao asked, looking around.

“A good question,” Kaede replied.  “Maybe you should see if he’s home, Amaya.”

Suddenly, Haname, her body tense and her face very red,  slapped  the young woman dressed in red and white.
Kaede turned to Amaya.  “Go get him now.”

Nodding, she left.

 
As the sound of the slap died away, there was no other sound for a moment except the ragged breathing of Haname. For a moment, everybody’s eyes grew large in disbelief.  For a moment nobody moved, shocked.

Just for a moment.

Kagome was the first to move. She  raised her hand to her cheek, touching the skin, still stinging from the slap.  “You . . . you hit me . . . ” Her voice quavered, not much above a whisper, a mixture of shock and surprise.

Haname’s eyes glared. They were frightening eyes, almost like a youkai’s eyes in battle fever, empty of  sense and thinking. Her hands clutched and unclutched spasmodically.  She breathed deep ragged breaths, once, twice three times, and then  raised her hand again. “Yes, I hit you. And I’ll - ”

Before she could finish, Susumu had grabbed her arm again. “Are you mad, woman?” he said, pulling her roughly away.  

Shippou sitting on Kagome’s shoulder was as dumbstruck as the rest of them for a moment, but then he turned to look at the young miko, touching her face where the hand print was redly marked on her face.

He turned watch Susumu wrestling her away and growled, getting ready to leap at the raging woman, but Kagome finally broke through her shock and grabbed him before he could leap.

 “Don't you dare, Shippou-kun.  You'll just make it worse,” she said, hugging him close to her.

“Let me go get InuYasha,” the kit said, squirming.

“No,” she said.  “That would really make it worse.”

Haname turned to look at the two, then laughed, a strange bitter sound, then turned to look at Susumu’s face.“See how she commands that . . . that . . . thing!  And you do nothing! You’re bewitched too, just like the rest of them.”  She shook her head.  “No, no, no, no, this cannot be!” Her voice lifted in a wail, heartbroken and wild. “My poor family, my poor village under such a spell!”  Tears began to stream down her face.

Haname looked up to the sky. “Who will save us?  Merciful Kwannon, why have you decided to desert us?” Haname cried. “Is it our karma? The holy man, he warned me, but nobody would listen.”

Susumu got her to stand still for a moment.  “Haname, let me take you home. You need to lie down and rest.”

“Is she fox possessed?” Emi asked. “How can she say things like this?”

“I don’t know,” Hisa said, looking at her daughter-in-law.  She turned towards the young miko.  “There’s something very wrong. I’m so sorry, Kagome-chan.”

Kagome, still hugging Shippou nodded.

Matsume stepped outside, and saw Haname struggling in Susumu’s grasp.  “What . . . ”

“Home, what’s there to go home to? The magic took my grandson, turned my husband against me, turned my son into a spineless blob.”  She shook her head back and forth. “Everything is just like he said it would be.”

“Don’t let the children come out,” Hisa said. Matsume nodded and slid the door shut.

“What can I do?”  Kagome asked Hisa.

Haname heard her.  She stopped wailing and stood stock still, focusing all her attention on Kagome.  “You - haven’t you done enough already?  Youkai bride, witch, black miko -  how dare you ask what you can do?  You can leave, you can die and take your youkai with you.”

“Haname-obasan,” Susumu said. “Please, let me take you home.”

“I’ve heard enough from you, Susumu.  If you and the guard won’t do something about it, I know I will!”  Struggling with an almost supernatural strength, she broke free of Susumu's grasp and lunged once more at Kagome.

“Get Kagome out of here, Okaasan,” Susumu yelled, grabbing  Haname again.  

Hisa took Kagome's hand and began to pull her away.  “Let's go to the shrine,” she said.  “Emi, go tell the men what's happening.”

“No!” Haname yelled as she watched them walk off. “I must stop her!  It's the only way to save everybody!” She began punching and kicking Susumu. One lucky punch to his gut caused his grip to slip for a moment, and in that moment Haname broke free.

“You can't fool everybody, witch,” she said, and made a lunge in the direction Kagome and Hisa were going. Susumu ran after her, but this time, he wasn't alone.  Isao leaped forward in a flying tackle and knocked his great-aunt to the ground.

Susumu joined Isao in holding the woman down, and quickly, using his head scarf, tied her hands so she couldn't hit anybody anymore.

By this time, Tameo and Kinjiro, quickly followed by Daitaro and Tsuneo, made it into the courtyard.  

“The witch will kill us all,” Haname yelled. “Can’t you see that?  Stop her.  Let me stop her.  We have to stop her.”

“Merciful Kwannon,” Daitaro said. “I knew she was angry, but this isn't anger, it's madness.”

“Or something more,” Kaede said, walking up. “When you get her restrained, take her to my house. I can treat her better there.”

“You’re sure, Obasan?” Susumu said, accepting a length of rope that one of the men handed him.

Kaede nodded. “Healing’s my work, even when it’s in a case like this.”

“You’re all bewitched!” Haname wailed.

“Let’s hope,” the old miko said, sighing, “that there’s something I can do.”

Haname’s shouting and weeping followed Hisa and Kagome as they walked to the garden that surrounded the shrine.  Finding a shady spot beneath a tree, the two women sat down.  Shippou, finally released from Kagome’s death grip, scampered up the tree.

Kagome was clearly shaken. “Did I do something to make her break down that way?”

“Nothing, child,” Hisa said, patting her hand.  “Nobody saw this coming.  Haname has a temper, and it’s true that youkai frighten her, but she’s always been one who could see the right from the wrong before.  In fact, she has a reputation for a rather harsh fairness.” The older woman sighed.  “Except, perhaps, when it comes to Tameo.”

“Tameo-sama?”  Kagome asked, surprised.

Hisa nodded. “It’s an old story. Once upon a time, when we were all young, she had eyes for him. There was some talk between his family and hers that they might make a match. Then the youkai attacked, and her family was all destroyed, except for her and one nephew.  My husband’s father decided that she was unlucky, that the whole family was, and refused to let any of his children marry either Haname or her nephew, even though she was now the heiress of all her father’s lands.”  

She shook her head and gave Kagome a small, wry smile. “Tameo has often assured me that although she wanted him, he has only had eyes for me, ever since we were children.  I’m not sure whether to believe him, but it’s sweet.”

“So how did she end up married to Tsuneo?” Kagome asked.  

“The elders at that time knew that someone needed to marry her, if for no other reason to make sure her lands were properly used. So they approached Tsuneo’s father. At that time, Tsuneo had an older brother who was expected to be the heir for their family, so he thought that making sure his second son had a good marriage and plenty of land was not unlucky. So they were married. With all that Tsuneo’s had to put up with over the years, I’m not exactly sure if it was lucky for him.”

“I still think I should go get InuYasha,” Shippou said from his perch in the tree. “He’s going to be mad at me for not doing it.”

The two women looked up at him.  He glared back down at them, his arms crossed.

Shaking her head, Hisa sighed. “And what would he do, Master Fox, if you do go?  Attack a poor mad woman who is not in her right mind, and leave all those people at Kagemura still under the threat of a youkai that’s killing them?” 

“But InuYasha said - ”

“I know what InuYasha said, Shippou-chan,” Kagome said, cutting him off.  “But it’s resolved, at least for the moment.  I’m all right. You know, Shippou-chan, I’ve fought youkai.  I’ve stood up to Naraku.  A poor woman like Haname’s not even in the same league.”

The kit pouted, crossing his arms, but nodded.

“You’re a good woman, Kagome-chan,” Hisa said, smiling at her, and touching the back of the young miko’s hand. “You have a very kind heart. I’m sorry you had so much hate aimed at you today.  But I am very glad you are now a part of my family.”

Kinjiro walked up the path. “Okaasan?  Kagome-sama?  They’re taking Haname to Kaede’s. You can come out now.”

Hisa nodded and stood up. “I think after all that, I need another cup of tea.” She looked down at Kagome.  “Would you like a cup?”

Kagome gave her a brief smile. “Tea sounds wonderful.  But would you mind if I just sit here a little while?  I think I need a bit of quiet time first.”  She glanced up, to look at Shippou.  “That is, if my guardian here will be quiet enough.”

“Hn,” the kit said.  “Who’s noisy?  Not me!”

“I can understand that,” Hisa said. “Quiet is sometimes very good.  Even me, with my love of a noisy household, escapes once in a while.  And today - Well, come to the house whenever you’re ready.  You know you’ll always be welcome.”

With a little nod, Hisa joined Kinjiro, and walked back to the main house.

Kagome closed her eyes.  The sunlight was warm on her face, and she relaxed in the quiet, the only real sounds being the wind in the leaves and the soft sound of Shippou grumbling.

“I wonder,” she said softly, “how I’m going to explain all this to InuYasha when he gets home?”

A shadow fell across her face, blocking the warmth.  She opened her eyes, to see a  strange man  standing in front of her.  Then she remembered who he was  - Morio, the yamabushi whom she had met briefly during an encounter with Joben.  She sprang to her feet.  “Does Tameo-sama know you’re here?” she said.  “This is the family shrine.”  

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, my pretty Black Miko.”  Quickly before she could reply, he had grabbed her and put a hand over her mouth.  “Nor do you need to worry about  what that hanyou of yours will say. By the time that abomination gets back, whatever hold he has on you will be gone.”