InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 85

[ 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 84


The group watched Masuo and his children disappear down the road.

“Well,” Daitaro said.  “He’s leaving here in better shape than he left the last time.”

“Is he?” Miroku asked.

The old farmer nodded. “Kaede thought he was leaving too soon, but he was determined to go. He hobbled out of here leaning on a stick and that pretty girl he married later.” He looked down the road and smiled. “A couple of the men from his village came over to help him get there, and tried to get him to ride in a cart or on a horse, but he wasn’t having any of it. Masuo was determined to walk home.”  Daitaro pushed his hat off, and scratched his head. “Man has guts.”  

“I think his boy may take after him,” InuYasha said.

Kaede walked up to the four standing there. “So they’re off,” she said. Kagome and the others turned around to face her. “Masuo’s a good man. Time didn’t change that any.”

“Yes he is.  Maybe a little more cautious since that day I dragged him to your hut,” Daitaro said, with a small laugh. “One big youkai fight was enough for a lifetime, no doubt.”.

“He was brave enough to walk home with the likes of us,” Miroku said. “Not all villagers would have felt as easy with it.”

“True,” the old farmer said, nodding. “InuYasha here, well, if you didn’t know him...”

The hanyou snorted.

“I’m glad nothing worse came of his daughter than a long walk for her brother,” the older miko said. “And now, maybe we can start getting back to normal.”

“Well, maybe after we’re through with what Tameo wants to do,” Daitaro said. “The family heads are meeting at his place this morning. Still need to do something with Aki, and our cousins here are owed something for what happened.”

The old miko nodded. “And there’s Haname to take care of as well.”

A woman in a rush hat walked by, bowing a greeting. She had a small child strapped to her back, and a basket in her arm.

“Ah, Maki-sama,” Miroku said. “Is your husband at home?”

The woman half turned, and gave the monk a little smile. “He’s in the field this morning, Houshi-sama. I’m heading that way now.”

“Please,” Miroku said, bowing a little, “let him know I would like to talk with him. Perhaps this evening?”

She nodded. “I’ll tell him.” And with a nod of her head, she  continued on her way.

“Another victim for your work party?” InuYasha asked.

“Actually, yes.” Miroku said, smiling.

“Good choice. He’s one of the better roofers in the village.” Daitaro chuckled. “You’re determined about this roofing party, I see.”

Miroku tapped his staff on the ground, making the rings jingle. “It’s for the good of their souls.”

“You say that a lot,” InuYasha said, with just a small disbelieving smirk. “Comes in handy.”

Kagome gave the two men a sharp look, and turned toward Kaede. “How...how is Haname doing?” Kagome asked.

The older miko looked at the younger woman, catching the note of hesitation in her voice, and gave her a small, tired smile.  “Calmer. That amulet that yamabushi gave her was a nasty piece of work.  It was hard to seal, but once I did, she began to rest some.” She took a deep breath. “And then I was able to rest some, too. But it was not an easy night for her. She kept calling out in her sleep, like she was having nightmares.”

“Morio told me he had been giving her some sort of tea,” Kagome said.

“I can believe that,” Kaede said. “Sometimes, when dark medicines like that work their way out of a person’s system, it can make that person suffer.”

The group began heading down the street toward Kaede’s house and Tameo’s compound beyond.

“Sometime in the middle of the night,” the old miko continued as they walked, “Haname  began to sleep more normally.  She woke up for a while this morning, and seemed much more like herself than she did yesterday. But her ki seems weak. It’s going to take a while for her to recover, I am afraid.”  

Rin stepped out of the miko’s house right before they reached it.  She, too, looked a bit tired, but when she saw the group, she broke out in a smile.

“InuYasha-ojisan, Miroku-ojisan, Kagome-obasan!  Rin is happy to see you!”

“And you, too, Rin-chan,” Kagome said. She stepped forward, quickly followed by Kaede, leaving the men behind them.

Rin gave Kagome a thoughtful look, trying to figure out something, but then it evidently hit her, and her confusion turned to a curious look. “But where are your robes, Kagome-obasan? Aren’t you coming to study with Kaede-obaasan today?”

Kagome laughed a little. “I hope so.  My miko clothes are at Tameo-sama’s house. They got dirty yesterday, so Hisa-obasan had them washed, and they weren’t dry before I came home.”

“Ah,” the girl said. “Rin hopes today is nicer. And that we get to go to Sango-obasan’s for our sewing lesson again.”

“Me, too,” Kagome said. “I didn’t get anything done since we were there last.”

Daitaro, watching the young girl interact with Kagome, leaned toward Miroku.  “Is she always this bubbly?”

“Usually, yes,” the monk replied.

“And she followed InuYasha’s brother?” Daitaro rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve seen him, and thinking of anybody this cheerful around him seems...well, unusual.”

“Indeed,” Miroku replied.

InuYasha’s ear flicked.  “Feh. The only bright thing around him.”

The women seemed not to notice the little discussion behind their backs.  

“Well, Rin-chan, is everything all right inside?” Kaede asked.  “Am I needed?”

“Haname-sama woke up again. Chiya-sama said to let you know.”

“Did she?” Kaede said.  She turned and looked at the young woman next to her. “Perhaps, you should come as well, Kagome-chan.” She looked up at the men. “But I think all of you should stay out here, or maybe go on to Tameo-sama’s.”

“Now?” Kagome asked. There was a tiny flash of discomfort in her eyes, and she swallowed before regaining her composure.

“It would be convenient,” Kaede said. "You’re here, and I’m sure I won’t be able to keep you long, but I do need you for a few minutes. I expect Tameo will be wanting to talk with you this morning.”

“Uh,” Kagome said, and looked up at InuYasha.

Although Kaede didn’t seem to notice that flash of panic in Kagome’s voice, it did not go by InuYasha. “Wait a minute,” he said, moving forward. “Haname tried to attack her yesterday.  Do you think I’m going to let Kagome go anywhere near her and not be there? Anyway, why’d you need her now?”

“There’s something I need to test,” Kaede said, unperturbed at the hanyou’s reaction. “How will I know if the magic is truly broken if I don’t have Kagome-chan see her? Perhaps she’s only calm because Kagome has been kept away from her. And you frightened Haname even before this happened.  As bad as she was yesterday, I don’t think you should be where she can see you.”

“Do you think so?” Kagome asked. “That she’s only calmer because I haven’t been near?”

“Not really, but we need to find out,” Kaede replied. “That was a harsh magic Morio used on her.”

InuYasha rested a hand on Kagome’s shoulder. She rested her hand on top of his.

Kaede looked at her thoughtfully. “And I’m glad you’re not in your miko garments. If she’s going to react to you, the robes might make it worse. I’m not exactly sure just how that yamabushi triggered the magic.”

InuYasha’s grip on Kagome’s shoulder grew a little tighter, and she looked up at him. He searched her eyes then looked back at Kaede, scowling.

The old miko sighed. “I’ll not send you away, InuYasha, if that’s what you’re worried about. You can stand there right by the door and use your ears,” she said. “And after we see how Kagome-chan’s presence affects her, then all of you go on to Tameo’s. I suspect he will be keeping you busy today.”

Kagome took a deep breath. “I guess that’ll -”

“I -” InuYasha started, interrupting her, but Kagome grabbed his sleeve.

“Give us a minute, Kaede-obasan,” Kagome said. “I need to talk with InuYasha.”

The old miko nodded, and Kagome led InuYasha behind the miko’s house, where they could have a little privacy. She leaned up against the side of the building and sighed.

InuYasha looked at Kagome. “I don’t like this. I don’t know exactly what’s wrong, but I can tell you’re not ready for this.”

“I know.” She nodded, not meeting his eyes. “And I’m not sure I like it all that much myself. I don’t know why I feel so tense.”

“If you’re not ready, we need to let Kaede-babaa know.” He lifted her chin up with a finger “I know she wants you to do this, but your body’s telling me you don’t want to. You know Kaede-babaa.  She won’t make you do it if you’re not ready to face Haname.  She’d work around it.”

“I know that,” she replied.

He cupped her cheek. “You promised me that if you felt trapped, you would tell me. You’re sure acting like you feel trapped right now.”

“I think...I think I need to let me do this.  Knowing you’re near will help, but I...I need to do this.  If I’m going to be a healer, I need to face a healer’s responsibilities,” Kagome said, finally meeting his eyes.  “And...and maybe I need to see her just to know why I’m acting like this. This isn’t like me. Is it part of Morio’s magic?”

“That bastard,” InuYasha said.

Kagome nodded. “She frightened me yesterday. I don’t like letting people frighten me. I need to face her. It’s not that I’m trapped. It’s more like I have to figure this out. Does that make sense?”

InuYasha wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah, it does. I know you. You’ve always been brave. Hell, you told my brother off more than once. You pushing yourself to figure this out when I can tell you’re really nervous, that shows you still being brave.”  

“You think so?” Her eyes searched his.  “I feel...almost ashamed that I’m so nervous.”

“Feh.” He gave her small smirk. “Won’t tell you about how many times I had to put a good face on things when all I wanted to do was run.”

“You?” Kagome said. “I thought you never got scared.”

“I hide it better than you,” he said, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. “If you had my sense of smell, you’d know it.” He gave her a small chuckle.

Kagome said.  “Maybe it was his magic. All I can see when I think of her is the anger in her eyes.  So much hate.  I need to see if that was all Morio’s magic. I need to know if I can deal with it if it wasn’t. I need to face it.  I can’t let her do that to me.”

He kissed her forehead. “Yeah.  But you don’t have to be a hero. Go in and see how she acts. Don’t let her hurt you. I hate when people try to hurt you. I’m supposed to be protecting you.  And yesterday...”

“You will be protecting me. You’ll be right by the door.  I know you’ll be able to tell if anything’s the matter.”

“You’re sure?” he asked. “Last chance to back out.”

Kagome nodded. “No backing out.”

He gave her a quick kiss, then pulled away. “Let’s get this over then.”

They walked back to the others.

“Would you like me to come in with you, Kagome-sama?” Miroku asked.

Kagome looked at Kaede, who nodded. “I think that should be all right. But let us go in first, and we’ll call you.”

“And I’ll stay outside with InuYasha,” Daitaro said. “But if you need us, we’ll both be there. I saw how she was yesterday.”

“Will that work, InuYasha?” Kaede asked.

The hanyou nodded.  

“Good.  Rin-chan, go and tell them at Tameo’s that the others will be there soon.”

The girl nodded, and headed for the headman’s house. Kaede opened the door mat and the two women entered the house.

The air in Kaede’s hut had an acrid smell, something bitter, like old sweat and strong herbs. Chiya and Akina sat alongside of the pallet that Haname was stretched out on.  They looked up as the women entered the small house.

Chiya, who was holding a soup bowl, put the bowl down and scowled at the trio. “You brought her in here?”

“Of course I did,” Kaede said, going to her place by the fire pit. “Kagome-chan is my apprentice. She has every right to be here.  Miroku-sama’s waiting outside if you want to have him say sutras for you.”  She looked up at Kagome. “Come here, child.”

Kagome walked over to Kaede and knelt down while Kaede poured a medicine from a small pot into a cup.

“Some apprentice,” Chiya said.

“Chiya, enough,” said Haname. Her voice was very soft, very weak. “Let the girl do her job.”

“But Okaa,” Chiya looked at her mother, surprised. “Wasn’t yesterday...”

“Enough,” said the older woman. Although she was weak, her eyes met her daughter’s eyes, and the look she gave Chiya demanded obedience.  “Help me sit up.”

Chiya, frowning, nodded to her sister-in-law. Together, they helped Haname get into a sitting position, and smoothed the covers over her lap.  

Kaede handed the cup of medicine to Kagome. “Take this over to her, child.”

Kagome, working to keep her face neutral and her hand from shaking, nodded, and moved toward the bed.

“You need to drink this tea,” Kaede said from where she sat, observing how Haname was behaving carefully. “It should help get the last of whatever it was that yamabushi gave you out of your system.”

Haname frowned. “Is this the same medicine you gave me with breakfast?”

Kaede nodded, and the sick woman made a disgusted face. “Nasty stuff.”

“So often, good medicine is,” the old miko said, agreeing. “It can be bitter, like life.”

The sick woman gave a short, unpleasant barking laugh. “Life and bitterness. I know that potion well.”  

“Okaasan, it will get better,” Akina, her daughter-in-law said, and  rested a hand on Haname’s.

The older woman shook it off. “Life is what it is, Akina-chan. We have to deal with what it gives us.”

Chiya reached out for the medicine cup as Kagome reached them but Haname pulled her daughter’s arm back.  “Move, daughter. Go out and get the monk to recite the Heart Sutra. Kagome-sama, come sit down next to me.  You and I, we need to talk.”