InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 185

[ 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 184

“Now what?” Daitaro said, pausing a moment to look at Joben and the strange man sitting in front of Tsuneo’s house.  

“Where is everybody?” Shinjiro said, looking around. There were no other people visible around the building, although he could hear someone singing around the back.

Joben looked up and saw the two men. “Chichi-ue took Chiya-chan to the river. We’re waiting for him to come back.”

“That’s good,” Daitaro said, moving towards the two. “I need to talk to them both.”

“Why don’t they hurry?” Morio said. He stopped rocking but didn’t look up. “I want to go.”

“Soon, Morio-kun,” Joben said, rubbing his forehead. “Don’t worry.”

“But what if the monster comes before they get here?” Morio asked, a note of panic in his voice.

“You’ve got those beads Houshi-sama gave you.” Joben lifted both hands to his head, rubbing. “I hope he gets here soon. My headache’s getting worse.”

Shinjiro, obviously uncomfortable about being around Morio, gave him a wide birth, and sat down, leaning against a fence post. “This day’s turning into a headache.”

Daitaro, not so nervous, sat down near Joben. He grinned at his son. “Tomorrow night will make up for it.”

“Maybe,” Shinjiro said, but his tone was doubtful.

“Always does, the day before the wedding,” Joben said. Even through his headache, he managed a small grin. “I think it’s a curse on bridegrooms.”

“I don’t like curses,” Morio said, frowning. “They’re bad. That’s what my Otousan always said.” He turned his head to the side and looked at Joben, who was pressing his hand into the side of his head, as if that could stop the pain. Morio’s look softened, and turned concerned instead. He reached out a hand to the ailing man. “Do you want some of my headache medicine? I know Akina-obasan packed in my bundle.”

Joben looked at the cursed man, surprised at the sympathy. “No, no. I took some medicine earlier. It just hasn’t worked yet.”

“Maybe you need to lie down,” Morio said. “That’s what Akina-obasan says when I tell her the headache’s not going away.”

“Maybe so,” Joben said, “but I have too much to do right now.” He sighed, dropped his hands, and turned to Daitaro. “You need to talk to Chichi-ue?”

Daitaro nodded, and grabbing his sake bottle, he uncorked it. “Had a run in with Seiji over at Michio’s.” He took a drink then offered it to Joben, who shook his head no.

Joben sat up straighter.“Seiji? What’s that bastard up to now? Doesn’t have enough to do beating up his own woman?”

“Evidently,” Shinjiro said. “He’s heard that Chiya got kicked out.”

“So?” Joben asked.  

“He expressed,” Daitaro said, taking another sip from his jug, “an interest in Chiya-chan, in case she found herself without a man.”

“The hells,” Joben said. He clinched his fists. “After all the things that bastard’s done...Does he even think anybody in my family would let him near her?”  

“Forewarned is forearmed,” the old farmer said, putting the stopper back in his jug. “But I thought your otousan ought to know.”

“Is he a bad man?” Morio asked, looking at each of the men. “Did he do bad things?”

“He can be,” Shinjiro said.  “He’s mean to the women in his life.”

“My otousan always said hurting women is very bad,” the yamabushi said.

“Your otousan was right,” a voice said.

The men turned to see Tsuneo, Tameo and Susumu walking up.

“So that ass went over to Michio’s too?” Tsuneo said. His eyebrows narrowed, obviously not pleased by the news.

“Almost got poked by Arimasu’s straw fork,” Shinjiro said.

Tameo, obviously not pleased with the news, shook his head. “Less that he deserves.”

“Been worth seeing, though,” Susumu said. “We better warn Kaede, though. I suspect his woman’s going to show up with some extra bruises before the day’s over. I hope he doesn’t break anything.”
Morio looked at the group with wide eyes, then started to curl back up. “A bad, bad man.”



Back at the thicket beyond Kaede’s garden, Tazu stood speechless for a moment, not even registering the kitsune who had his arms wrapped around her neck. Instead her eyes were focused on the pale form of the youkai in front of her. Her eyes were locked for a moment with his golden eyes, watching her with neither anger, nor fierceness, but with a touch of curiosity, although the beautiful lines of his pale face gave no hint to what he was thinking.

Suddenly, though, reality crashed as Shippou tightened his grip to the point he was almost choking her.

“Get off of me, Shippou-kun,” she said, trying to pull the kit away from her. “I need to breathe.”

“I told you, I told you,” the kitsune said, releasing his grip and allowing himself to drop to the ground. He ran behind her, and peeked out at the daiyoukai from behind her.

“Explain yourselves,” Sesshoumaru said.   

Tazu bowed low, finally remembering her manners. “Excuse this poor child, Sesshoumaru-sama,” she said. “Rin-chan has told me so much about you that when Shippou-kun told me you were here, I...I just wanted to see you for myself.” She swallowed. “I...I wasn’t trying to spy on you, Dono. I just wanted a glimpse.”

“I told her not to come,” Shippou said, looking up at the girl, his face screwed up in a large disapproving frown. “But she wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Hn,” the youkai said. “Your role in this is noted, Kitsune.”

There was a noise behind Sesshoumaru. He turned his head just a little as Rin, came to stand next to him.

“Tazu-chan? Shippou?” Rin said.

“Tazu?” Sesshoumaru said, looking first at the girl who had finally decided to stand up. “This is one of the girls you were showing your sewing to?”

“She and Iya are Rin’s best friends in the village,” the girl said, nodding. Suddenly, she covered her mouth with her hands. “Rin forgot that she had asked Shippou-kun to bring her a basket, just before you came, my Lord.”

“I got fussed at by Kaede-obaasan, too,” Shippou said as it dawned on him that perhaps Sesshoumaru was not going to rage at him. “She said I made too much noise getting it down.”

“That is something this Sesshoumaru can believe,” the youkai said.

Shippou was about to say something in his defense, when Tazu blurted out, “Your Lord is as beautiful as you said he is, Rin-chan.”  


Rin smiled, and nodded, but evidently Tazu had not meant to say that out loud, and she turned bright red, covering her face with her hands.

“I’m going to go back to the village now,” Shippou said, and began backing away from the little group. “I think...I just remembered Sango wanted me to go tell Miroku something.” Once he reached a point where he thought it was safe, he put a leaf on his head, transformed into a white seagull, and flew away.

“So,” Sesshoumaru said, turning his gaze back to Tazu. “Tell me of this...boy...that this Sesshoumaru hears has expressed an interest in Rin.”

Tazu’s eyes grew wide as she looked up at the daiyoukai. “Uh...” Swallowing, she managed to break his gaze and look at Rin.

“You told him about that?” she asked her friend.

Rin nodded.  “Rin tells her Lord everything.”

“But...but...” Tazu said, looking a little panicked. “Iya didn’t tell me either!” She bowed quickly. “I’m sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama.” Standing up, she too turned and ran back to the village.

Rin sighed. “Rin thinks she might never know,” she said, a note of disappointment in her voice. She did not notice the shadow that crossed over the youkai’s face.


Back at the village, Kaede put a last bundle of herbs in her basket. “Daisuke, first, the Sora’s and one quick check at Sayo’s,” she said to herself. “Although I suspect Hisa-chan is hovering over her like a mother hen, if I know her. I hope everybody else got a nap.” She looked up at the shelf where she kept some bottles. “And a check on Haname.” Grabbing one of the jars and adding it to her basket, she headed for her front door. As she stepped outside, she could hear someone shriek. Rolling her one good eye back, she shook her head. “Children. What are they up to now?”

Three chickens and a dog ran down the road as she walked the few steps that led to the street, heading away from the heart of the village. The dog was not chasing the chickens, although they squawked as loudly as if he was.  

“Now what?” she said, turning to look in the other direction.

A young boy, the owner of the dog, was running at full speed towards her, breathing hard. He had a mark on his cheekbone, like he had been hit with something that was just starting to bruise, and a rip in his shirt where the collar had separated from the fabric. His eyes were very frightened.  

“Nakao, what’s wrong, boy,” the old miko said, frowning.

The boy slowed down as he neared the old miko. “He’s after me,” he said, gasping stopped. “I didn’t do anything! I was just weeding the garden! Don’t let him hurt me!”

“Who?” Kaede asked.

Nakao pointed down the street, where a very angry looking man was heading for the two of them. “I don’t know what I did wrong! I was tugging on a big hard weed when suddenly he pulled me off of it, and slapped me.”

“Nakao, get back here,” the man shouted.

“Go into my house,” Kaede said, frowning. “Let me deal with him.”

The boy nodded and ducked inside. Kaede stood at the front of the doorway, blocking the entrance.

“Get out of my way, Miko,” the enraged man said as he neared the building. “You stay out of this. This is between me and that brat of mine.”

Kaede pursed her lips together and drew herself into the most impressive figure she could. “Seiji, what are you doing?” she asked, glaring at the angry man. “Do you always terrify your children?”

“None of your business, Miko.” He stood in front of her, his face red with anger. It made the scar on his face stand out even more. “I’ll take care of mine the way I see fit. He defied me.”

“Hitting boys in the face is taking care of them?” she asked. “I don’t think so. He’ll stay here until I take care of what you’ve done to him.”

“Out of my way, Miko,” he said, laying a hand on her shoulder, to shove her out of the way.

“You stink of sake,” she said. “Come back when you’re sober.”

“That’s my boy.” He gave her a small shove.

“And this is my house,” Kaede replied, getting angry. “You will not enter.”

“Don’t let him hurt me anymore,” the boy’s voice said from inside. “I didn’t do anything!”

“It’s just going to be worse for you if you keep that up, you ungrateful dog,” he said, yelling back at the boy. “Get out of my way, Kaede. I know my rights.”

“And I know mine,” the miko replied. “Go home, Seiji. Come back when you can think straight.”

He lifted his fist and shook in front of her face. “Who’s going to make me?”  

“I might,” a voice said from behind them.

Seiji whirled, his hand ready to punch whoever it was who was speaking.

“Go ahead and hit me.”  Eiji, tired-looking, but determined stood there with his arm crossed. “There’s a box in Tameo-sama’s yard ready for those who break the peace and hit one of the village guard. Being drunk and mean is no excuse. You want the elders down on your throat?”

“Bah, you and your guard aren’t worth the money paid to you,” Seiji said. “I hear you even take youkai in it now.” He spat.

“At least the youkai doesn’t beat up on his woman every time he has a bowl of sake,” Eiji said.

With a roar, Seiji gave the guard a shove, then stomped off.