InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 98

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


Chapter 97


Miroku watched Tameo and the others file out of the office. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back to the men still sitting at the table. “So, Toshiro-sama, Tsuneo-sama, I have only lived in this village four a little more than three years.  Is it often that the village kami do this sort of thing?”

Hisa knelt next to Toshiro offering her teapot.  He looked at her briefly, and let her fill his teacup. “It’s not often,” the elder said, picking it up. “I don’t know when my family’s kami has done it.”

“That’s the way it often is with kami,” Miroku replied, nodding. “I’ve met a few in my travels. Usually if you see them, they have some business to take care of.  Not many show their faces, it seems.”

“Not for over a hundred years in my family,” Tsuneo said, waving Hisa away when she offered the tea to him. “They do say though, that the kami showed up to lead the family into the hills when some army was tramping in the area. All before my time.  With all the time that Joben spends at the shrine, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran away, being pestered with all my son’s prayers.”  He rested his head on his hand, looking quiet defeated. “If my family really has bad luck, that might be a big part of it.”

“Quiet and doing their work behind the scenes - that’s the way most kami are,” Hisa said, moving to Miroku.  He nodded when she offered the tea. “I must say that Kazuo-no-kami is a bit more lively than any other I’ve heard about lately. I still remember that bandit attack where he hit out with his hoe, but even he seldom shows up like he’s been doing. And two days in a row?  I never heard about such a thing.”

“I wonder if it’s because InuYasha has youkai blood,” Miroku said. “I heard once - ”

There was a groan behind them, interrupting the monk. The adults at the table turned around to see Isao slumped forward, his face turned down, his eyes clenched in a grimace.

Tsuneo turned around and laid a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Isao, can I help you? Do you want to lie down?” Tsuneo asked.

“My head,” Isao muttered. He covered the top of his heads with his hand. “It hurts.  Bad.”

Hisa hurried to his side, resting her hand gingerly on his forehead. “Did you ever take your medicine?”

Isao tried to shake his head, but stopped.  “No...”

She picked up the cup, and tilted his head up.  “It sounds like you will be staying with us, boy.  I am the mother of the house, and I tell you that you will take your medicine. And take it now.”

“But...” Isao said.

“Listen to her, son,” Tsuneo said. “You need it and she has, or at least it looks like she will have that right.  You have done what you need to prove to me, to all of us, that you are worth it. So, do the right thing and take your medicine. No one will think less of you.”

Isao’s eyes went from Hisa’s determined look to Tsuneo’s sad but approving glance.

“You have been very brave, young man,” Toshiro said, nodding. “A lot of us had high spirits at your age. We understand. Take your medicine.”

He took the cup from Hisa. His hand shook a little, and he wrapped his other hand around it to try to steady it. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he gave a single nod and downed the contents in one gulp, shuddering at the taste.

“Good boy,” Miroku said. “I wish I could get my girls to take their medicine that well.”

Isao looked up at the monk, still grimacing. “I don’t blame them.”

“Nasty, eh?” Kinjiro said. “Haha-ue’s dosed me with that before, too.” He took a sake cup, walked over to the built in cabinet, fished out his father’s sake jug, poured a tiny amount into the little cup, and walked over to the knot of people. He knelt down next to Isao and rested a hand on his back and handed him the cup with the other.  “This is what I always did when she dosed me. Here. Swoosh this around in your mouth before you swallow.  It’ll help with the taste.”

Hisa tugged on her son’s sleeve. “You didn’t give him very much, did you?” Hisa asked. “Sake and that medicine can really make a person groggy.”

“No more than you used to,” Kinjiro said. He turned back to the boy who was looking at the adults uncertain of what to do. “Drink. Even if you get sleepy, it’ll be worth it to get the taste out.”

“A practical man,” Miroku said.  

“Practiced,” Kinjiro replied.  Miroku snorted.

Isao finally did as instructed. “I don’t like either,” he said, wiping his mouth and handing the cup back.  “But it tasted better than the medicine.”

“Oh, you’ll like the sake more as you grow up,” Kinjiro assured him. “Especially when you can take it without the medicine first.”

Hisa laughed a little at her son. “You should know.”

Aki watched the adults taking care of his cousin, and his face grew angry, in spite of being tied up. “Big baby,” he muttered.

Kinjiro started to get up, but Tsuneo rested a hand on his shoulder. “Has he been mouthing off like this when I was out?”

The younger man nodded.  Tsuneo got up, walked over to where Aki sat. The boy looked up at his grandfather with wary, angry eyes, and a defiant set to his jaw.  Tsuneo gave him a slap.

“Whose fault is it that he’s injured?” Tsuneo demanded.

Aki’s eyes watered, either from the slap or the surprise at his grandfather’s actions.  “Ojiisan...”

The old man glared at the boy. “Well, whose fault is it that your cousin is hurt?” His voice was harsh, requiring an answer.

Aki looked around the room but saw no sympathy. “He didn’t get out of the way fast enough.  It wasn’t my fault,” he said. “I told him that...”

“And whose fault is it that your obaasan got so angry yesterday?” Tsuneo asked. He squatted next to his grandson, looking him directly in the eye. His hands were clenched tightly as if he were trying not to use them again.

“I didn’t make her mad!” Aki said. “She got mad because what that yamabushi did!  It was the fault of that hanyou for her luck!  It was...”

“Oh? And if you hadn’t done something wrong, would she have gone running up the hill to try to rescue you?”  Tsuneo gave the boy a shake. “And who was it that hit his cousin again today, even with him being injured already?”

“He...He...”  Aki’s voice fell, and he looked down at the floor.

“Remember the story I told you about how my father wanted to take me to the slave market, but the elders convinced him not to?” Tsuneo said, lifting his grandson’s chin up to meet his gaze.

Aki swallowed, then nodded.

“I understand how he felt. You had better hope Tameo and Toshiro think you’re worth more than I think you are.” Tsuneo stood up.

The boy looked up at his grandfather, real fear in his eyes. “Ojiisan...”

Back at the table, Isao said, “I feel dizzy.” He slumped forward. Hisa looked up at her son and sighed.

While Hisa was serving tea to Toshiro and Miroku, Kagome hurried down the path toward the family shrine. As she entered the garden, she saw her husband standing in front of the shrine, not moving. Sunlight glinted off his silver hair, his arms were crossed in front of him with his hands slipped into his sleeves, and he had his head tilted to the side, but he stood there relaxed.

“InuYasha?” she said as she approached him.

His ear flicked as he heard her. He took a deep breath. “This day is too damn weird,” he said, turning to face her.

“Are you all right?” she asked, studying his face. She rested a hand on his arm, and he covered her hand with his.

His amber eyes met hers, solemn and serious, but not angry or hiding behind a stony mask. “Why wouldn’t I be?” he said. “Was I gone that long?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s just that I felt a big wave of spiritual energy. You left so suddenly. And then Daitaro said you came to the garden.  I didn’t know what was happening. Tameo said he thought the kami must have manifested.” She looked around.  “But I don’t feel anything now.  Did something happen?”

“Keh,” the hanyou said. “You just missed him. He went back to wherever it is he goes when he’s not here.”

“What happened?” Kagome asked. “I was worried when you went off like that.”

InuYasha sighed and gave her hand a little squeeze before moving it off his arm.  He slipped his hands back in his sleeves. “You know how I get sometimes. After dealing with that brat, I needed to get away for a few minutes so I wouldn’t do something stupid.” He gave her a sad smile. “I don’t think they would have really liked what I wanted to do with that kid.”

Kagome returned his smile, almost as sad. “I don’t think you would have been alone. I bet Kinjiro would have joined you.”

“I bet,” InuYasha said, snorting. “Then when I got outside, Daitaro got me to sit down and talk with him and Tsuneo. Tsuneo’s all right. I kind of feel sorry for him, having to deal with all of this.”

Kagome nodded.  
“Daitaro was passing that bottle around and got me to drink some sake. It made me dizzy and I guessed I talked too much. They were ready to go back in, but he thought I ought to wait before coming in.”  InuYasha shrugged. “I guess he knows more about that stuff than I do. I went to the garden  and then Kazuo showed up and wanted to talk.” He dropped his hands out of his sleeves, then reached up and brushed Kagome’s cheek with a knuckle. “For some reason, today everybody wants to talk to me.  It feels strange. I'm not used to that.”

“He likes to talk a lot for a kami,” Kagome said. “I wonder if he gets lonely doing whatever it is he does.”

“No idea. Shouldn’t we get back to the others?” InuYasha asked. “He told me about why some stuff was happening, and not to worry so much.” The hanyou’s ear flicked.  “Easy for him to say.”

“At least you know he’s not mad at you,” Kagome said. She took his hand and laced her fingers into his.

As they turned around to leave, Tameo, Susumu and Daitaro, who had been standing off in the distance giving them room to talk, walked up to join them.

“So, cousin,” Susumu said, grinning. “I see you’re still here in one piece. Neither Daitaro-ojisan’s sake nor the kami did you in, I see.”

InuYasha dropped Kagome’s hand and crossed his arms again.  “I’m still here,” he said. “Must not have.”

Daitaro turned to the younger man and gave him a small shove. “Bah. You shouldn’t make fun of what you drink plenty of yourself.” He patted his jug.  “And then ask for more.”

“The kami, he showed up?” Tameo asked, ignoring the other two.

“Yeah,” InuYasha said.  “We went for a little walk up the hill and back.”

Tameo looked surprised, but nodded.“I don’t know if you realize how unusual all this is.  But after yesterday, I can’t say I’m really shocked. He made sure we all know how he feels about you and your partner.” The headman scratched the top of his head. “I don’t know if he’s ever done anything like this before, or at least not so much of it.  Usually, if he wants to talk to you, he just yanks on you and you’re lifted up to his realm.  He doesn’t manifest like this very often.”

“I guess,” InuYasha said. “He said something about it making things unbalanced.” He turned to Daitaro, and gave him a small smirk. “And, you, old man. The kami said you should share some of your sake with him. I got the feeling he thinks you’re being stingy.”

“Huh,” Daitaro said, tugging on his thin, scraggly beard. “Never occurred to me. The headman’s house has always been the one to supply the sake for the offerings. I never meant...” At first he chewed on his bottom lip and then his face broke out into a broad smile.  He nudged Susumu again. “You see - you ought not make fun of my sake. Even the kami wants some.”

Susumu raised his hands in mock surrender. “I stand corrected. Remind me that I should come and sample some later, in penance for my rudeness, and to remind me that it’s fit for the kami. I wouldn’t want to make a mistake like that again.”

The old man laughed.

“Well, if everything’s all right, I suggest we go back to the office and finish our business before Kinjiro loses his last thread of patience,” Tameo said.

“It was getting rather threadbare,” Susumu acknowledged.

The group moved back to the office. Just before they reached it, the door slid open and Kinjiro and Hisa stepped out with a shaky-looking Isao leaning an arm against them both.

“What’s happening?” Tameo asked.

“He needs to lie down,” Hisa said. She pursed her lips, unpleased with the turn of events. “And I think Kaede might need to take a look at him.  He’s had enough of being the man this morning.  I am taking him home into the back room.  You can settle the fine details without him.”  

“Can I help?” Kagome asked.  

Hisa looked questioningly at her husband. “If...”

“We don’t really need Kagome-chan until after we’ve decided about Aki,” Tameo said.  “I can send for her when we’re ready.”

“Yes, then.  Please, Kagome-chan, can you take his other side?” Hisa said. “I think you’ll fit better than Kinjiro.  He’s a bit too tall.”

Kagome turned to InuYasha.  “You’ll be all right?”

His ear flicked, but he nodded.  “Yeah. And Miroku’s there. The kid really tried to be brave today, but he looks like he needs the help.   I’ll manage.”

She gave her husband a soft look then turned back to Hisa and Kinjiro. Kinjiro stepped aside and let Kagome take his place helping to support the boy.

“Why’s he so groggy?” Kagome asked.

“Pain medicine,” Kinjiro said.

“And maybe a bit too much sake,” Hisa said, turning her gaze on her son. The look was not pleasant. Kinjiro swallowed.

The two women began walking the boy toward the house.

“I swear I didn’t give him any more than Haha-ue used to give me,” Kinjiro said.

“Another lightweight,” Daitaro said, shaking his head. “Well, he’s tried hard. Let’s get this meeting over.”

And with a nod of agreement, Tameo led the men back into the house.