InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 162

[ 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 161



Kagome winced as she heard the sounds coming from the side of the house. “He really sounds bad off.”

“Too much to drink and refusing to eat anything,” Toshiro said. “We tried to get him to eat, but all he wanted to do was talk and sing sad songs.”

“Is he like this a lot?” she asked.

“No, not really,” the elder said. “But yesterday... ”

“It was pretty awful to watch,” InuYasha said. He shook his head, and stuffed his hands in his sleeves. “I tried to get away before it reached that point between him and his woman.”

“I’m sure you did,” Toshiro said, leaning against the wall of the house. “Nobody’s blaming you, not even Michio.” He rubbed the top of his left ear, and tried hard not to yawn, but didn’t quite make it. “Well, his wife might, but she’s always had trouble accepting the fact she causes herself more trouble than she ought to.”

Kaede nodded.  “Ever since she was a young one.”

Michio stumbled back towards the verandah, but didn’t quite make it “I...I... just damn.” He plopped down and curled into a ball. A small brown dog wandered by and went up to the man, poking him with its nose, sniffing. Michio shoved it away. The dog whined at the rejection, but curled up near him, and gave his cheek a lick. “Go away. Just leave me alone. I want to die.”

InuYasha moved next to Kagome. “Definitely bad off.”


Toshiro just shook his head. “No, you don’t, cousin,” he said, moving towards the miserable man. “But if you wake up all the children, you might wish you did.” Before he stepped off the verandah, he turned back and looked at the group standing there. “There’s food if you’re hungry. I know Asami would be happy to serve you.”

Kaede, looking quite fatigued, shook her head. “I think I shall pass this morning. All went quite well, but these old bones are ready for a nap.” She covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn. “It was a long day yesterday.”

“And a long night,” Toshiro said.

“Chiya, you bitch,” Michio said, almost too soft to be heard. “This is all your fault.” He rolled over to his other side, attempting to escape the small animal. Instead of leaving, the dog rested its muzzle on his hip.

“It really was, a long night for all of us,” Kagome said, looking up at InuYasha. His ear twitched as he met her eyes. “I think all I want to do is head home myself.”

Michio groaned loudly, and sounded like he was about to be sick again.

“I better see to him,” the elder said. He stepped off the verandah.

“If you need me, send for me,” Kaede said. She gave him a small, tired sigh. “But only if you need me. I will stop by later, though, to check up on Sayo-chan.”

“I promise,” Toshiro said. “But this is one sickness I’m afraid I know how to treat too well.” He bowed to the small group. “Thank you for attending to Sayo-chan.” He looked up at the hanyou. “And it was good to spend more time with you, InuYasha-sama. You need to come and talk more often. Let’s try to do it earlier in the night, though, next time.”

“Keh, “InuYasha said, nodding.

The elder walked over to his cousin. “Man, what am I going to do with you?”

“Poor man,” Kagome said, watching them. “He must have drunk a lot last night.”

Kaede sighed. “After what happened yesterday, I’m not surprised,“ the older miko said. She took one last look at the miserable man, shook her head, and began walking away from the house. Kagome and InuYasha began following her as she took the path that led to the main road. “It’s always something. I better check on him and his otousan this afternoon when I come back to check on Sayo. Arimasu will no doubt be in as bad a shape as his son. And Michio’s obasan, Inishi, will be ready to throw them both into the stew pot.”

“I’ve seen her get angry,” InuYasha said. “I wouldn’t want her looking in my direction when she’s like that. And people say I look scary when I’m mad...”

Kaede nodded. “Worrying about Chiya and Michio, and caring for the children will probably put a bite in her tongue.”

“Would you like me to come with you then?” Kagome asked. “So many people need you right now.”

Both women heard InuYasha audibly sigh. Kaede looked up at the hanyou and back at her assistant, and a small, knowing smile touched the corners of her mouth. “I think, perhaps, only if you get some real rest. There will be plenty of opportunity to check up on men who drink too much sake. It seems to be a...well, custom, with some of them.” She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “I imagine I should check on Haname while I’m at it.”

“Some custom,” InuYasha said, his tone making it clear what he thought about that type of behavior. “I can think of things I’d rather do that get like that.”

“I agree,” said the old miko. “But not all are so wise.”

“That’s true,” Kagome said. “I remember my ojiisan...” As the thought struck her, her face grew somber, and she sighed, dropping her head and looking at her feet.

InuYasha looked at her, frowning.“Something wrong?” he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up again, twitched the corner of her mouth into a small smile, and shook her head. “No, no, I’m just tired. Let’s go home.”

“I won’t say no to that,” he replied. “Home sounds good.”



Heading in the direction of Toshiro’s house, but not yet in line of sight of the three tired walkers, Miroku, Tameo and Hisa hurried on their own way, the monk’s staff jingling as they walked.

“So,” Miroku said, “Kisoi and his family are moving into Tsuneo’s place by the river this morning? You want them there before Chiya and Morio show up?”

“That’s the plan, anyway - Kisoi and Nana to have the fire burning and, then Chiya, who’s probably going to have a temper tantrum, and when that’s calmed down, we’ll have Joben bring over the yamabushi. We definitely didn’t want them to all show up at once. Kisoi might have actually have started yesterday evening. I’ve sent Susumu over to talk to Tsuneo to make sure things are all right,” the headman said.  

“Someone better remember to bring some of Chiya-chan’s things over,” Hisa said, thoughtfully. “And not just her clothes.”

“Tsuneo knows his daughter better than most people. I suspect he’ll think of at least some of it.” Tameo scratched his chin. “That’s a good point, though. I’ll mention it.”

Isa, Rin’s friend, was running an early morning errand, and she waved at them as she headed towards the river.

“At least it’s not a bad place to stay,” Hisa said, waving back. “I’ll never understand why Tsuneo’s otousan decided to move into the house he’s living in now. I visited there when I was a girl, and thought it was like a palace,” she said, laughing a little at her silliness. “The way it overlooked the river reminded me of a painting I had seen of a Samurai’s castle. It’s certainly nicer than their current house. It even has four rooms. Not everybody has to live in outbuildings. And there's the second son' house next to it.”

"Where Tsuneo's going to put Chiya," Tameo said.

“It does have an impressive placement,” Miroku said, “Up there on the bluff like that.”

Tameo shrugged. “Chichi-ue said it was for luck. Remember, the year after Tsuneo and Haname got married? When that coughing sickness went through the village?”

“Oh yes,” Hisa said. “How could I forget? You were so sick. We hadn't been married that long. I was afraid I was going to lose you.”

“Heh,” the headman said. “I was too wild and stubborn to give into something like that.  But Tsuneo’s older brother wasn’t so stubborn, and neither was his okaasan.”

Hisa nodded. “I remember. It was such a sad year.”

“Chichi-ue said the old man didn’t want to live there anymore and cooked up a story that it was haunted. Kaede went and blessed it, but she didn’t find anything. Said he was trying to change his luck, but I bet he was haunted by too many memories.”

“I guess,” Hisa said, nodding. “But still...”

“People in grief will do things like that,” Miroku said, nodding. “Did it change his luck?”

“Maybe,” Tameo said. “Joben was born about a year later, and Tsuneo took to his duties well enough. He kept the old house up, too. I think Tsuneo was saving it for a second son, but they never had one that made it to adulthood.” Tameo looked at Hisa. “We’ve been luckier that way, you and me.” Hisa touched his hand, and smiled at him. “But now it looks like it’s going to come in handy that he did.”

“It sounds like you and Tsuneo have everything figured out,” Miroku said, a bit confused. “So why do you need me?”

“Well, we know you have good spiritual powers,” Tameo said.

“And so does Kaede-sama,” Miroku said.  “If she said there was no ghost...”

Tameo shook his head and hands. “No, no, it’s not that. We’d just like it blessed. It’s going to have a lot of...well, dark emotions going through it in the next few days until things settle down. We don’t want to attract any youkai or ghost to come check it out.”

Miroku leaned on his staff, and looked at the headman, while he considered. “It’s not a bad idea,” he said, nodding. “A lot of negatives can attract unwanted things.”

“And that site’s on the edge of things, making it more vulnerable. We figured it wouldn’t hurt, just in case, you know?” the headman said. “Especially the room where they’re going to keep the yamabushi.”

Miroku nodded. “I may have an ofuda or two that can help with that, although it won’t keep him from misbehaving. It might help keep him calmer. But he is acting like a five or six-year-old boy.  They’re going to have to work on keeping him distracted.”

“Could it do the same with Chiya-chan?”  Hisa asked.

The monk shook his head sadly, “Somehow, I doubt what they would need to distract Chiya-sama would be good for the village. But the ofuda to help with calming should work on her as well, to some degree.”

“It can’t hurt,” Tameo said. “Maybe I should offer Kisoi some bonus pay. It’s probably going to be a rough few days.”

“I’m glad I’m not going to be staying there,” Hisa said, nodding.

As they talked, they rounded the bend in the trail.

“Perhaps, Kaede-sama’s medicines...” Miroku, thinking deeply, looked at the ground as he walked, as if it would give him some answers.  

“What are you doing here, Bouzu?” an irritated voice said.

He looked up to see a scowling InuYasha, eyebrows knit together, standing in front of him with arms crossed and hands stuck in his sleeves.  Behind him, Kaede and Kagome, who had been discussing something, noticed the new group, and Kagome waved.

The monk broke into a big smile. “Why,” Miroku said, “I was coming to rescue you, but it looks like you’ve managed to extract yourself with no problem.”

“Feh,” the hanyou said.

“The baby’s come?” Hisa asked, pushing past the two men.

“Indeed,” Kaede said, smiling at the headman’s wife. “A healthy little girl. She got here about an hour ago, just before sunrise.”

Hisa turned to Tameo, smiling broadly. “See? I told you.”

“I had no doubt, wife,” Tameo sagely replied, nodding. “You’re right about these things more often than not.” He joined his wife, and began heading towards Toshiro’s. “I’ll see you a bit later, Houshi-sama? I’ll be heading for Tsuneo’s next.”  

“I’ll be there,” the monk said, nodding. He turned back to his friend. “You know, InuYasha, I was thinking - ”

“Whatever it was, forget it,” the hanyou said, his scowl growing deeper. “The answer’s no. I’m going home.”

For some reason, Kagome, watching the two men as she walked up to join her husband, couldn’t quite keep from laughing.