InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 73

[ 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 73

“What?” InuYasha’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Shippou, and his voice was loud.

“You know this kitsune?” Masuo asked, whispering to Miroku. He still was fighting the urge to run, and gripped the pull bar of the hand cart very tightly. “You’re sure he’s not here just to get InuYasha-sama mad?”

“I’m sure,” Miroku said. “We’ve been taking care of him, more or less for four years, ever since his father died.”

Shippou and InuYasha ignored their conversation. Instead, Shippou looked up at InuYasha with big, moist eyes, alternating between fear and anger.

“Don’t be mad at me,” Shippou said, cringing as the hanyou started a deep, low growl.  He squirmed as the hanyou continued to hold him up by his collar. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was that creepy yamabushi guy staying with Joben. I tried to tell her to let me go get you after Haname slapped her, but she said not to.  So she went into the garden by Tameo’s shrine, and he grabbed her there.  I -”

“Haname slapped her?” Miroku said, shocked. He leaned forward and looked at the kitsune eye to eye. “Haname?”

Shippou nodded. “She was acting really weird, angrier than anybody’s ever seen her before, and they were wondering if she was possessed. She was calling Kagome names and blaming her and InuYasha because Aki got caught letting one of Daitaro’s cows loose, and it got in InuYasha’s garden, and he got caught and they were going to punish him. Susumu had to tackle her.”

“Haname? Susumu-sama?” Miroku said.

InuYasha dropped the kitsune. He stared off into the distance, his body tight, like a spring ready to release. His fists began clenching and unclenching.

The small boy rolled and got back up on his feet.  He glared at InuYasha. “I did what you told me to do! I tried to protect her! It’s not my fault you weren’t there. I came and got you soon as I couldn’t do any more.”

As the kitsune said that, something flashed over the hanyou’s face, guilt, soon replaced by a cold mask. “You did good, Shippou,” InuYasha said, not looking at the kit. “Just what I told you to do. Thanks.”

“Are you sure it was Morio who grabbed her?” Miroku said.

The kit nodded.

“Morio?” Masuo said. He spit on the ground. “That’s the name of the yamabushi who pretended to get rid of the youkai at my village. He’s the reason Yume-chan got so sick. He made the bakeneko attack worse.  And took a whole lot in payment for nothing.”

InuYasha turned and smashed his fist into a tree growing by the roadside. The trunk split, and one section tumbled into a tree behind it. “Dammit to the deepest hell. I knew something was going to happen if I left.”

The cat Miroku was holding hissed, and Masuo nearly jumped.

Miroku sighed, and walked over to his friend, and  put a hand on his shoulder. “Go, InuYasha. You can get there faster alone. If she was at Tameo’s, I’m sure there are people who protected her, but go. You won’t be able to rest until you do.”

He nodded, and cracked his knuckles. “Joben better hide that bastard well if she’s hurt. There won’t be much left of him when I get through.”

And with a running leap, he jumped into the trees and was gone.

“Does he always act like that?” Masuo asked.

“No, but he’s a newlywed,” Miroku replied, leaning on his staff.

“He doesn’t act that way all the time? Could have fooled me,” Shippou said, frowning. The kit crossed his arms, still angry. “I did the best I could.”

“I know you did,” Miroku said.  I’m sure the people at Tameo’s house were able to get to her before Morio could do anything. You did say she got away, right, Shippou-kun?”

The kitsune nodded.  “I left as soon as I saw people there reaching her.”

Miroku nodded. "Then all they’ll have to worry about is InuYasha overreacting.  Let’s just keep going. But I doubt if we need to hurry all that much.”

Masuo nodded, and began pulling the handcart. Shippou jumped on top of the bundles.

“Newlywed folks are skittish,” Masuo said, as the cart rumbled down the road. “It was almost half a year before I would leave my wife. How long have they been married?”

“Twelve days.” Chika the cat climbed up on Miroku’s shoulder to get a good look at the kitsune. Unimpressed, she curled up around his neck.

“I’m surprised you even got him out of the house,” Masuo said.

Miroku sighed.  “Me, too.  I think your daughter did it, actually.  Rumor to the contrary,” he said, looking at Shippou, “InuYasha actually has a soft place for children.” Ignoring Shippou’s huffing, he shook his head.  “Kwannon be merciful - if anything’s happened to hurt Kagome-sama, I may never be able to get him out again.”

Back in the village, Emi was sitting behind Kagome, combing her hair in an effort to help her relax while they waited.  It was working.

“You have such nice hair,” Emi said, lifting up a lock of Kagome’s hair and gently running the boxwood comb through it. It glistened with just the slightest trace of camilla oil.  “It’s so soft.”

“She does,” Sango said, taking a sip of tea. “I don’t know why you’ve started hiding it behind a scarf so often, Kagome-chan.”

Kagome opened her eyes, and gave her friend a small smile.“ It...it just gets in the way sometimes,” she replied. “And it keeps it cleaner when I’m doing stuff.”

“That’s true,” Emi said. “A scarf will keep the dust out, but your hair is so nice. You should just tie it back. I could put it back in a pony tail for you.” Emi ran the comb through her hair one more time, gathering the ebony locks in one hand. “I have some paper ribbon around here somewhere.”

“No, no,” Kagome said. “I don’t think InuYasha really likes me to wear it that way.”

“Why?” Emi asked. She pulled back the length of Kagome’s hair, wrapping her hand around the place the ribbon should go. “I think you’d look nice.”

The younger woman shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

Sango tilted her head to the side, a bit surprised. “You don’t think it’d still bother him?” She looked down, and turned her tea cup around  in the palm of her hand, thinking. “It’s been a long time since he said all of that.  You know he doesn’t compare you to her anymore.”

“InuYasha-sama used to compare you...” Emi said, puzzled, then enlightened. “Do you mean Kikyou-sama? I had heard he was fond of her once.”

Kagome nodded.

“I never saw Kikyou-sama when she was alive.”  Emi dropped the ponytail and ran the comb through Kagome’s hair one more time to smooth it out. “I hear she was beautiful. But so are you.”

“She looked a lot like Kagome,” Sango said, nodding. “Once upon a time, not long after Kagome set InuYasha free, and he was still rather confused and uncertain about the quest Kaede-sama had set them on, he got upset about Kagome dressing like her once.”

“It had only been a short time for him since he had last seen her alive,” Kagome said. “And we know their last meeting...well, I understood.”

“Ah,” Emi said. “Still, it’s been a good while since he last saw you like that.”

Kagome picked up her own tea.  “I know,” she said. “But I’d rather talk to him first. Especially today.”

“Are you nervous?” Emi asked, putting her comb away. “I’ve heard about his temper.  I think I even remember hearing an argument or two you had once. It could get pretty loud. Sometimes husbands who are angry do focus that anger on the wrong person.”

This made Kagome laugh. “Oh, for a while there, we had some really bad arguments. But no, I’m not nervous about him coming back and taking it out on me. InuYasha would never ever do anything to hurt me. I just wish he would get here.  He’ll be fine once he knows I’m all right. But  I...I just want to go home.  It’s been such a long and strange day.”

As Emi and Sango nodded their agreement, Hisa walked in, sliding the door open. The older woman, smiled at them, tired but content. “Well, that’s done,” she said.

“Everything’s all right at Kinjiro’s house? I hope my little ones aren’t driving Matsume too crazy,” Emi said, picking up her own tea cup.

“Everything’s fine,” Hisa said as she walked across the room. “Tama-chan came over and is telling the girls stories.  She’s very good at that. Poor little Yume-chan, dear thing, fell asleep - although after all she’s been through lately, I’m not surprised.  Her brother has been adopted by Mitsuo.  Together, they were building a fort out of a few baskets and a pot lid, ready to fight the king oni. I was rather impressed how well he put up with your stinker.” She sat down not in the mother’s position at the fire pit, but next to Kagome. “Riki-chan is getting dinner started.  I thought it would be more convenient if she cooked for all of us tonight.”

“How’s Rin doing?” Kagome asked. “She really only came over to bring you your medicine and to make sure Hiseo and Yume got here safe.”

“I sent Rin-chan to make sure Kaede knew about the amulet Morio gave Haname.  I know she’s skillful enough to find it herself, but still, it never hurts.” She looked at her daughter-in-law. “Emi, is there any more tea?” Turning back to Kagome, she continued, “And the poor girl looked rather . . . distressed.  I think she’s used to a quieter place.  So I told her to stay there in case there’s anything Kaede needs that we can help with.”

Emi got up to get another tea cup.

“Are you sure that’s wise?”  Sango asked.  

“Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s safe enough,” Hisa said, nodding. “Kinjiro told me they had dosed Haname pretty heavily with a sleeping potion.  And besides, Haname’s daughter Chiya was over there, along with Joben’s wife, so it’s not just Kaede and Haname.”

Emi scooted to pour some tea for her mother-in-law. “Let me know if this is too cold,” she said. “I’ll make more.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Hisa said, taking a sip. “Besides, Rin-chan will probably be happier at her own house.”

Kagome nodded, and gave Hisa a small smile. “I understand that one.”

While Kagome waited, InuYasha ran and jumped through the treetops, and occasionally on the ground as he took the shortest route home.  Guilt and anger and worry drove him on, a speeding blur of red and silver, unseen by any except the birds he startled as he leapt from branch to branch, two deer who bolted as he grew near,  and a wild boar, who, sensing the hanyou’s agitated youki, hurried to bury itself deep in a thicket to keep out of the reach of his claws.

“Kagome,” he whispered as he jumped down a tricky rock face, bouncing lightly off one rock.  His mind kept going back to his mother, and how she was treated. “I knew I couldn’t trust Haname.  Or Joben. And I left you anyway.”

He leapt across a stream and back up into the trees. “But Kaede, and Tameo - I know they wouldn’t turn on her. How did that fucking exorcist get near her?”

The only answer he got was from a cawing crow he startled as he leaped into the air.  It flapped its wings drunkenly, circled around him, and flew off until it was safe to reclaim its roost.  He ignored it, and focused on making the ground beneath him disappear.

In a quarter of the time it had taken him and the monk to cover the distance that very morning, he found himself standing in front of his own house. He stopped  long enough to confirm Kagome was not there, not even noticing the disarray in the garden or his woodpile. He jumped from a tree onto Miroku’s roof a few minutes later, finding no sign of Kagome or Sango, only Daitaro’s wife and the twins playing in the yard.  

“Huh,” InuYasha said. “Where in the hell  is Sango? And why were so many people here recently?”

Afraid that asking Chime would take too long, he leapt silently to the ground in a direction where he wouldn’t be seen, and dashed down the hill.  

Once he reached the main street of the village he stopped. Surprisingly, it seemed almost deserted. No children were in the street, no women gossiping. A dog looked at him, lowered his ears, and slunk off without barking. The emptiness unnerved him.  He stopped in front of the miko’s house, unable to smell or hear Kagome inside.  But instead of bursting in and demanding answers from Kaede, he jumped on her roof.

Kaede, hearing the light thump of his landing and  feeling his youki looked up from where she sat by Haname’s side, where the troubled woman slept fitfully in a drug-induced sleep.

“Is something wrong, Miko-sama?” Chiya, who was sitting on Haname’s other side, asked.

The older woman shook her head. “No, nothing. I was just thinking of Kagome-chan. She’s still at Tameo’s.  I wonder how long she will stay?”

“I suspect until her husband goes and brings her home,” Akina, Joben’s wife said.  

She looked back up at the roof. “Did you hear that?” she said.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Chiya said, looking up as well. But Chiya wasn’t who Kaede was talking to. The person she was talking to heard it very well.

There was another sound softer than the first. A chicken squawked like someone was passing nearby, and the tingling feeling from InuYasha’s youki diminished. InuYasha had jumped from her roof and was heading down the street.

“Now it’s your turn, Tameo,” Kaede whispered too softly to be heard, and turned back to her patient.

Emi looked at the women sitting in Tameo’s house. “Shall I make another pot of tea? We’ve drunk this one down.”

Kagome turned her head around and looked to the door. “None for me, thank you,” she said, then put down her tea cup and stood up.

“What is it, Kagome-chan?” Hisa asked. “Is something wrong?”

“InuYasha,” Kagome said. “I can feel his youki.  He’s almost here.”

She hurried to the door.  “It...it might be best if I went out alone.”  She slid the door open, and looked back at the women, her blue-gray eyes both excited and a little nervous.  

Sango stood up as well. “Go on. We’re here if you need us.”

Kagome nodded, slid the door open and stepped outside.

“Is that wise?” Emi asked, looking back and forth from her mother’s face to Sango.  “Some men...”

“Of course it’s wise,” Hisa said, sipping her tea. “She’s the reason he’s rushing back, anyway.” She took another sip. “All he really wants to know is that she’s safe. Everything else will wait until we get a chance to explain. Now slip around the other way and go tell Tameo he’s nearly here, but to give them time to greet each other.”  

Emi nodded and got up, and left.

Sango gave the older woman an appraising look. “That was exactly the right thing to do,” she said. “I’ve known InuYasha to come out of a blind, magically-induced rage to take care of Kagome. Naraku tried that towards the end. How did you know?”

“When you’re a mother long enough, you learn these things,” Hisa said.  “Now, I think I’ll make that next pot of tea.”

“She better be all right,” InuYasha muttered, as he hurried  the last of the way to Tameo’s gate. He stopped at the gate long enough to swallow back his fear of something being horribly wrong, and dashed into the compound.

“Kagome!” he yelled. He could smell her scent all over the courtyard. t was mixed with many others, and there was the taste of magic in the air, dark and light. “Kagome!”

“InuYasha,” a soft voice replied.

He turned to his right. For a second, his world stopped.

There she stood, her black hair gleaming, wearing a dress he had never seen before, the sleeves draping gracefully, unbruised, seemingly unharmed, and unafraid. She smiled at him and held her arms open.

Suddenly his world started up again. “Kagome,” he said. This time her name crossed his lips not as a yell, but softly, almost a breathed prayer.  

Three more steps she was in his arms, and he was lifting her up, feeling her body, smelling her warm and clean and very happy to see him as he spun around.

“You’re all right,” he said, tucking her under his chin. “You’re all right.”

“Of course,” she replied, getting him to let her loose enough to look up at his face. “But I have had a rather interesting afternoon. Want to hear about it?”